Talent hunt at Aspire Football Festival

Aspire Academy yesterday launched its two-day Aspire Football Festival for Preparatory Schools as part of its ongoing efforts to identify promising young football talent in Qatar.
Featuring 24 government schools, the competition is being followed closely by members of the coaching staff at both the Qatar National team and local football clubs, who are taking a keen interest in future generations of Qatar’s footballers.
In the stands at the Aspire Academy’s outdoor pitches were Qatar's national football team coach Jorge Fossati, Qatar Olympic national football team coach Felix Sanchez, Al-Sadd head coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, and Al Sailiya head coach, Sami Trabelsi.
Several leading local football figures also looked on, including the legendary Mansour Muftah, Estad Al Doha's Editor in Chief, Majid Al Khelaifi, and Al-Sadd’s Head of Football, Mohammed Ghanem Al-Ali.
Jorge Fossati commended Aspire Academy’s handling of the tournament and its world-leading approach towards football and its development, saying: “These participants represent the future of Qatar and Aspire Academy has always impressed in its diligence in finding and developing talent across all sports, not just football. My advice to these young players is: if you really like football, follow the coaches’ instructions and try to plan your life in accordance with your professional goals, because there are many things that you will not be able to achieve unless you begin planning for them now.”
Felix Sanchez, Qatar Olympic national football team coach, said: “It’s a great initiative and seeing all these players in one place playing together highlights the passion for football that exists among local youth. Qatar is building an impressive football pyramid and this generation could be playing in Qatar 2022, if they train hard and listen to their coaches.”
Al-Sadd coach, Jesualdo Ferreira, was also watching. He said: “This is an excellent tournament because there is no better place to start developing football or sporting talent than at school.
Al Sailiya’s head coach, Sami Trabelsi, also attended, saying: “This is great for the players themselves but also Qatar and its football, which benefits from increased competition and skills development.”