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1 DAILYMonday 17 Feb 2020 NEWS Monday 17 Jan 2020 2 REVOLUTIONISING YOUTH FOOTBALL FROM THE EDGE OF EUROPE who make the grade at a young age are lies in harnessing and fostering this potential The very essence of youth selected to play in squads that attract scouts at home. The King Mohammed VI Football from some of the country’s biggest clubs. Academy and Altinordu are now united in football was on display at taking up this challenge. Two of their former players - 22-year-old AS Aspire Zone yesterday, when Roma wide-man Cengiz Under and Leicester The Mohammed VI Football Academy City’s 23-year-old centre-back Caglar is unlike any of the other non-Qatari Altinordu came up against Soyuncu - have already made the grade at participants at this year’s tournament, the highest level of the professional game. because they do not have a team playing in Mohammed VI Football They are the first to emerge from a conveyor a professional adult league. belt of talent which fosters footballers from a Academy. young age through to maturity. Indeed, it was only a little over a decade ago - in 2009 - when the academy was founded The Moroccans prevailed against the Turks by in the city of Salé by the nation’s monarch, three goals to nil, in a game where both sides King Mohammed VI. Its aim is to promote gave their all. However, in the cold light of football skills amongst youngsters aged 13-18, day, the result itself seems far less significant and help them progress on to a bigger stage. than what the match actually represented: a glimpse of the future, with players from two of world football’s most visionary academies Salé is just across the river competing at one of the global game’s leading youth tournaments. – the wonderfully named Based in the west coast city of Izmir, Altinordu Bou Regreg – from Rabat, and have not achieved much success at the highest levels of Turkish football. Indeed, their the academy places great first team has not even played in the nation’s top flight for half a century. Nevertheless, their emphasis on supporting youth set-up continues to make waves. underprivileged youngsters Altinordu’s motto – Good Person, Good Citizen, Good Footballer – is much more growing up in the country’s than a media soundbite. The personal advancement of players is considered to capital, by combining sports be just as important as their professional progress. and study. Just as Al Kass International Cup is renowned as a world-leading youth tournament, the Its ambition was highlighted late last The club boasts no fewer same can be said for the International U12 year, when a three-year partnership with Izmir Cup, which is organised by Altinordu. French Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Lyonnais than 25 football pitches, Both competitions attract the world’s leading was announced. In fact, the tremendous youth sides, and Aspire Academy have success of the academy has also led to based in four facilities across made the trip to compete in Turkey in recent the establishment of similar bodies in other years alongside the likes of Manchester Moroccan cities including Tangier and Izmir and Aydun. Around 130 City, Chelsea, AC Milan, Lazio, Paris Saint- Agadir. Germain, and Ajax. football schools, and more The academy is designed to encourage From a footballing perspective, Turkey focus and a sense of community. Its than 12,000 players, are part and Morocco have much in common: grounds are arranged like a traditional passionate fans; distinctive styles of play; douar (hamlet), with five buildings - of the Altinordu youth set-up. and rich, largely untapped potential on the accommodating administrative, sports, world stage. Both the Turkish and Moroccan teaching, lodging and catering functions – The youngsters are continuously monitored, diasporas have produced a string of top- positioned around a central ‘village square’. and their progress keenly observed by class players, epitomised by the likes of Mesut Each has a central landscaped patio for coaches over the course of a year. Those Özil and Hakim Ziyech, but the challenge relaxation. The patio walls are painted in Al Kass International Cup 3 colours that reflect traditional aspects of technically a non-profit organisation. The migrated in search of work. Of course, Europe Morocco, while the buildings’ imposing monarch himself has also provided significant is also the global epicentre of the football exteriors are a sober white. Local ochre earth financial aid towards the academy. industry, but Altinordu and the Mohammed ties the complex to its environment, and is VI Football Academy are already taking textured with gravel, river stones, concrete It’s almost 2,000 miles from Salé to Rabat, significant steps to redress the power paving and timber decking. each sitting on the west coast of their balance. The scale of their success thus far respective nations. They are on the periphery can be measured on the pitches of Aspire Many Moroccan companies have lent their of Europe where, for several generations, Zone this week. support to the project, as the academy is thousands of Turks and Moroccans have Monday 17 Jan 2020 4 HAT-TRICK HERO SADIK INSPIRES IMPRESSIVE MOHAMMED VI ACADEMY VICTORY Skipper Omar Sadik was the three-goal hero on top and they took a deserved lead on letting fly from the edge of the box. as Mohammed VI Academy boosted their 20 minutes with a superb strike by Sadik. He hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Al tried to find Abdellah Baallal but the ball hit Aqboub also tested the keeper as the Kass International Cup with a convincing 3-0 a defender and bounced up at a perfect Moroccans looked for further goals in victory over Turkish outfit Altinordu. height for Sadik to hit it first time on the half the most dominant performance of the volley. tournament to date. Powerful striker Sadik was outstanding throughout the 90 minutes for the Yassine Khalifi then sent a shot wide as It took Altinordu 71 minutes to have their first Moroccans, who are making their debut at Mohammed turned on the pressure and the shot at goal when Hakan Ozturk curled his the tournament this year. Moroccans felt Altinordu should have been free-kick into the side netting after Ayoub El down to 10 men when Mouad Dahak was Hammami had brought down Seckin Firinci. Mohammed VI Academy had given a good pulled back by Mustafa Kocabas, who was account of themselves in their opening the last man. The Altinordu skipper escaped Sadic completed his treble with a dubious match defeat by Italians Inter Milan, but they with a yellow card. penalty on 84 minutes. Souhail Boudanane bounced back from that 3-1 reverse to totally went down while challenging Melih Istar and dominate this match. Sadik’s free-kick hit the wall and another a spot-kick was harshly awarded. The penalty chance was gone, but Mohammed VI may have been open to debate, there was Mohammed VI Academy do not have a Academy continued to press and Ilker Akar no doubting Sadik deserved his hat-trick and side playing in any adult leagues but focus needed to produce a fine challenge to deny he found the net with a minimum of fuss. on youngsters aged 12-21, with a focus on Aqboub. underprivileged youngsters from Moroccan Last year there were three hat-tricks at Al Kass capital Rabat. Oztasdelen was again tested in the last 10 (Carles Moscardo for Real Madrid against minutes of the first half as Dahak sent in a Spartak Moscow, Chris McKee for Rangers They dominated from the start and Hassan powerful drive from the corner of the penalty against Etoile Sportive du Sahel , and Nathan Aqboub had the first shot on target but it was area. It was Mohammed VI Academy’s Young-Coombes for Rangers in the same easily handled by Serhat Oztasdelen. eighth shot of a first half that saw then enjoy match), but we have already seen enough 65% possession with Altinordu failing to test attacking ability at this year’s tournament to Aqboub was involved in much of Academy’s the keeper at all during the first half. believe that figure could be beaten. early play down the left and he drove in a cross towards Sadik but Oztasdelen came off Academy continued their domination after his line to reach the ball before the striker. the break and the Turks had no answer to the power of Sadik, who doubled the advantage Mohammed VI Academy were very much on 55 minutes when turning Arda Kirgil and X 0 3 ALTINORDU F.K. MOHAMMED VI ACADEMY Al Kass International Cup 5 ALTINORDU F.K. MOHAMMED VI ACADEMY GK Serhat ÖZTAŞDELEN DF Arda KIRGIL GK Walid HASBI FW Omar SADIK (C ) DF Berke KILIÇ DF Ilker AKAR DF Ilyass LAGRIMI MF Mouad DAHAK DF Mustafa KOCABAŞ (C ) MF Ersin Poyraz ERSOY MF Mohammed Younes DF Ayoub EL HAMMAMI FW Yunus SEKMEN MF Muhammet Zisan TURAN JAZOULI MF Yassine KHALIFI MF Melih Serhat ŞŞTAR MF Furkan YÖNTEM FW Hassan AQBOUB MF Youness AKHARRAZ FW Muhammed Talha YILMAZ MF Abdellah BAALLAL DF Taha SOUIRI The Experts Say… Nick Summerbee First hat-trick of the tournament! The team fully deserved this win, they were the better team. This was a big result for them. I was watching Omar Sadik at the start of the game even before I saw the hat-trick, and I thought was fantastic. I believe there’s a lot more to come from him. Player of the Match They have increased their chances of reaching knock-out stage… Barring a surprise win for Altinordu over Inter Milan, should Omar Sadik Mohammed VI Academy finish second in group C they will face either Aspire Academy or Rangers in the quarter finals.

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