Ghana U-15 team qualifies for Manchester

Right to Dream Football Academy, an under-15 football team has qualified to play in the World Manchester United Premier Cup in August this year. The Ghanaian team beat their Egyptian counterparts, ENPPI 1-0 in the African Premier Cup qualifier played in Hilversum, Netherlands on June 10. This is the first time an African team will be playing in the tournament alongside youth sides of European clubs such as Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona, FC Basel, among others.

It was a nervous start for both teams although Right to Dream looked more likely to score as the game progressed but ENPPI held solid in defence and the match finished 0:0 after regular time. Right to Dream raised their tempo, taking their game to the next level in extra time and thrilled the crowd with a dazzling display. A goal finally knocked in after a beautifully taken free kick secured the win, and a coveted place in Manchester, just minutes before the final whistle.

The Premier Cup was developed by NIKE in 1993 as a grassroots tournament offering young players from diverse cultural and social backgrounds the opportunity to play at international level against the best teams in Europe. This regional tournament originally involving 624 clubs, evolved to become a world-wide event, with over 9,000 teams from more than 40 countries competing annually.

In 2003, the competition was taken to new heights when Manchester United added their name to the biggest and best under-15 football tournament in the world, joining Nike in their quest to promote excellence in football.

Bernard O'Herne of Nike said the number of teams from Africa to participate in the Premier cup next year will probably be increased to eight countries. The competition has produced some of the world's finest young players like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique. The Right to Dream team is expected to arrive in Ghana soon to prepare for the tournament in August.