Dubai Schools Football Cup – On the Road to the Finals

Top teams battle their way to secure top spots in the semi-finals

Dubai, UAE -23 Feb 2014– The Dubai Schools Football Cup enters its final stages with the completion of the quarter finals yesterday and the selection of the four top girls and boys teams who will go through to the semi-finals and finals on March 1.

All eyes will be on the Grand Prize, an all-expenses paid trip to the UK provided by Cup Main Sponsor Chevrolet, to attend a Premier League Manchester United game at Old Trafford. Winners will also participate in a full-day football training clinic provided by Cup Main Sponsor Emirates NBD and delivered by Manchester United coaches.

In the Boys U12 category, the face off will be between the National Charity School, Al Shafie School, Lycee Francais George Pompidou and Dubai National School (Al Barsha) in the semi-finals next week.

Speaking after his quarterfinal win, Coach Suhail Ali from Dubai National School, said, “Our team played very well today as they have been in the past weeks. They are well united with strong connections and tactics.  The team has had a great experience in this tournament and I see their growth every week.  They have learned a lot in the past 7 weeks. The entire tournament from the state of the art fields to the organization has been a great experience for the boys.”

In the Boys U16 category, Sabis Choueifat National Charity School, Al Shafie School, Lycee Francais George Pompidou  and Dubai National School (Al Barsha) have made it through after facing some tough opponents in the quarterfinals.

Dubai National School (Al Barsha) faced their toughest opponents yet in the Westminister team.  After an intense 24 minutes of play the teams were tied and went into a penalty shoot out which saw the young men of Dubai National School find their way to victory with 7-6 win.

“It was a tight match and we understand that coaches and players are in it to win, but we’re looking forward to seeing good sportsmanship on and off the pitch at next week’s semis and finals,” said a DSFC official. “Part of the experience of DSFC is to model and teach tolerance and positive encouragement and we’re very proud of the teams that have set a great example,” he continued.

Dubai School’s four top teams in Boys U12, Boys U15, Girls U13, Girls 16 will be battling it out for their last chance at the ultimate prize: the Chevrolet all expenses paid trip to Old Trafford and the Emirates NBD football clinic at Manchester United.

After 7 weeks of play that has gone from tentative beginnings where teams were merely testing each other out to an intense round of 16 and fired-up quarterfinals, the Dubai Schools Football Cup has achieved all it has set out to accomplish and more. New friendships across cultural boundaries have been forged, the flame of commitment, drive, tenacity and teamwork have been ignited in girls and boys who have seen their passion for football fanned. Performance on the pitch has improved week on week and now on week 7 the DSFC was witness to some very good games.

Amr Ahmed from Arab Unity School had this to say after his final match in the knock out stages yesterday, “Dubai Schools Football cup made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me happy and made me sad but of course it’s the best competition I went to in my life.  I had fun memories and sad memories.  When we lost I was crying not for losing the trip to Manchester, but for losing the best place to go each Saturday so please make sure that this competition is on every year.”

Finals week at Dubai Schools Football Cup promises to be a day full of exhilarating matches, a fantastic display of talent and an amazing display of team spirit by all the young players come out for 8 weeks to play their favorite sport – football.

The DSFC 2014 is held under the auspices of the Dubai Education Zone and the Princess Haya Initiative for the Development of Health, Physical Education and School Sports, in partnership with Dubai Sports Council.

The Dubai Sports City Football Academy, under the expert guidance of its director and former Real Madrid Star Michel Salgado along with Inspiratus are organizing the tournament and managing the teams organized in four categories: Boys U12, U15 and Girls U13 and U16.