Goals galore, stars of the future showcasing their talents and nail-biting drama – the inaugural edition of the National School League Football competition last season had it all. And the journey starts all over again with more thrilling action promised when the second edition kicks off next month.
A total of 65 teams across three UAE venues and two different age groups started out on the road to glory last October, but in the end, one name reigned supreme.
Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou claimed both the Under-14 and Under-16 NSL titles on finals day at The Sevens Stadium in January.
There’s certainly a lot to live up to, with an average of 4.6 goals scored across more than 230 games in the four-month long competition. With an U-12 section added for the new season, organisers are hoping there is more magic to come.
“The NSL is a unique and powerful platform to showcase and reward the ambitions and achievements of school sports,” said Matt Burn, sports events manager for tournament organisers, Sport360.
“After the success of the inaugural season, we are looking forward to further developing the local talent with the new U-12 league.
“The response from schools, children and parents has been overwhelming and we are anticipating a bigger and better second season.
“We would like to thank our partners Emirates Islamic, Go Sport, Umbro and Daman for their support and wish good luck to everyone involved.”
Emirates Islamic will again act as the NSL’s title sponsor and their CEO, Jamal Bin Ghalaita, is happy to play a part in developing the country’s next generation of talent.
“At Emirates Islamic, our key objective is to give back to the community and the biggest contribution we can make towards our future is to invest in our children,” he said.
“Sport activities not only promote fitness but also inculcate values such as teamwork and self-confidence which the children will go on to use in their education and careers.
“Thus, to be a part of the National School League once again was a natural decision for us to make. Football is a passion point for our youth and we look forward to the rising stars of tomorrow.”
Last season, Dubai-based Salman Farsi School U-14s were the tournament’s top scorers with 48 goals, while LFI’s U-16’s posted the best defensive record, conceding just four times.
Fiederic Deswarte’s LFI side were head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in their section, but their younger counterparts didn’t have things all their own way en route to the U-14s final.
In fact, they were heading to defeat against Sharjah’s Al Salaf Al Saleh Private School in the final before a moment of inspiration. LFI led 2-0 through striker Tom Kassis, but the French school were left stunned by a brilliant comeback from Al Salaf – Tayseer Al Saadi, Hussain Mohammed and Moustafa Ali scoring to give them a 3-2 lead.
Midfield maestro Sacha Ziani’s superb free-kick at the death then sent the tie to extra-time, where Kassis netted his hat-trick to clinch an epic game via golden goal.
