Football: Madewis Cup 2023 in France |31 May 2023

The Rovers under-10 team will be taking part in the Super Final of the Madewis Cup (Photo: Contributed)

Rovers under-10 team to compete in the Super Final

The Rovers under-10 team from Seychelles will be travelling to compete in the Super Final of the Madewis Cup, a prestigious football tournament in France that brings together more than 12,000 amateur players aged 6 to 13 years old.

The under-10 team are made up of talented young Seychellois players selected from schools around the country based on their technical football abilities.

Over the last year, the team have been training intensively, three to four times a week, under the supervision of head coach Rupert Pool and the academy director Lucas Panayi.

Back in 2022, the under-10 Seychelles national team took part in the Madewis Cup, but unfortunately, the allocated budget for this year's tournament was unexpectedly cancelled by the Seychelles Football Federation to the great disappointment of the young players and coaches.

As a result, Rovers have taken up the full responsibility for the trip with the help of generous sponsors.

Playing in the Super Final of the Madewis Cup will provide a valuable opportunity for the young Rovers players to showcase their skills and compete at a high level against some of the best young teams in Europe. The players will gain valuable experience from playing against top-quality opposition including Olympique Lyonnais, FC Metz, AC Ajaccio, Benfica, FC Nantes, Olympique de Marseille and S.C Bastia.

"We are thrilled to be competing in an international tournament of such prestige with some of the best teams in Europe," said head coach Rupert Pool. "It will be a huge challenge but one the players have been working hard to prepare for. We are excited to see how they will perform but most importantly we are excited to provide them with this opportunity and valuable experience for their continued football development.”

"As our key sponsor, Absa Bank Seychelles has continued to provide significant support and this has made such trips possible for our young players,” said Lucas Panayi, director of the Rovers academy. “Others have also stepped forward to help including Hunt Deltel, Eden Island Marina, 7 South, Boat House, Spar, Surfline, Panafricare, Bodco, and Dr Magdalena Baska, and we are grateful for their assistance and generosity."

The delegation departed Seychelles for France on Monday May 29 and will spend a few days in a training camp in Marseille until eventually playing the tournament from June 1-4 in Bastia, Corsica. Upon the completion of the tournament the team will spend a day in the famous academy of Zinedine Zidane where they will train and play together with their French counterparts before returning to Seychelles on June 8, 2023.

Contributed