Northern Emirates Teams Raise the Bar on Youth Football at duFC's UAE Schools and Streets Cups

• Remarkable teamwork drives Norther Emirates top Schools teams
• Boys teams battle it out on the pitches of the Streets Cup

Sharjah, UAE – 23 January 2016 – High energy, enthusiasm and a passion for football saw the teams from Norther Emirates smash the goal record of Abu Dhabi teams in the 2nd week of their group stages in du Football Champions Schools and Streets Cups.

The official Schools and Streets Cup of the nation and its only youth international football scouting platform offering UAE young footballers the opportunity for an international football career, hosted some of the most memorable moments in youth football to date as teams fought to fulfill their dreams about the prospects for glory.

Commenting on the week 2 of Norther Emirates, Fahad Al Hassawi, Chief Commercial Officer du said, “It is very exciting to witness the passion for football that he youth across the UAE have and through du Football Champions platform they are able to experience professional football and work hard to achieve their aspirations.”

Most memorable match

In one of the toughest matches of the day, the boys from FC Man City played against The Viber.   Needing a goal to seal their position at the top of their group, the pressure was on Mayed Salem when the opportunity arose through a penalty shot.   The boys from The Viber never lost their focus as they pushed themselves to the end with a final score of 1-0 to seal their faith.

Michel Salgado, Championship Director and LaLiga Global Ambassador, said, “Today I saw some fantastic play, the level of play that I have been looking out for, the level we play in Spain and that can certainly land some of these young players a spot in professional clubs.  I am excited to see what happens in the coming weeks, and how Dubai will hold up. ”

Players to watch

Top players in Sharjah after the second week of group matches included Mohammed Abdul Rahman, Sayed Ali and Ahmed Dweiri playing in the Schools Cup and Tony Chembakassery, Ahmed Abdelaziz, Muhammed Harsi and Mohammed Bostani playing in the Streets Cup.   These young boys awareness on the pitch, speed and tactical passes were what the Scouts were on the lookout for this week.

The groundbreaking UAE youth football tournament kicking off in the Northern Emirates this weekend is an excellent opportunity to provide youth of the UAE with access to a pro-football career and nurture their talent at a grassroots level on an unprecedented scale. Chevrolet is excited to see these young athletes push themselves to the next level, and we look forward to hosting the winning teams and talent in Spain later this year," said Abdallah Madhoun, Chevrolet Middle East Regional Sales and Marketing Manager

The Girls

The girls dedication and enthusiasm were contagious as they came out with all of their support this week.   It was Al Maarifa School  who came on top, pressing hard throughout as they clinched their deserved wins.  Tactical passes, stamina and a thorough joy of playing landed them top spots in their groups at the end of week 2.

“In the second week of du Football Champions in Norther Emirates, we have seen how serious these players are, how committed they are to the game and how valuable this platform is in supporting their footballing aspirations,” said Hussein Murad, CEO of Inspiratus, organizers of du Football Champions.

Off the pitches a huge turnout of parents and members of the community enjoyed the exciting matches and activations. A growing number of parents and football enthusiasts from the Norther Emirates community were present at the championship this week

Theo’s Challenge designed by food alchemy partner Theo’s Point continued to support the scouting platform by encouraging players to compete against themselves as they go through physical challenges to improve their speed, agility, focus and concentration.

The final day of group matches will take place at Al Hamriya Club next week on January 30. Fans can follow in-game updates on Twitter and Facebook(@uaeschoolscup @uaestreetscup).