U12 Team Compete In Norwich Mina Cup In UK
The Bermuda Select Under-12 team recently competed in the Norwich City 2024 Mina Cup UK.
A BFA spokesperson said, “The Bermuda Football Association [BFA] is pleased to report on the performance of the Bermuda Select Under-12 team during the Norwich City 2024 Mina Cup UK. While the team faced mixed results, their overall performance showcased their potential and highlighted the growth of Bermuda’s youth football program.
“The team’s journey began with a challenging match against Feyenoord from Holland. Despite falling behind early, the Bermuda Select team demonstrated resilience and scored a crucial goal through Shiloh Stevens. However, Feyenoord ultimately secured a victory of 3-1.
“In their second match against Arsenal, the Bermuda Select team played a competitive 0-0 draw, showcasing their defensive prowess and ability to match up against top-tier opponents.
“The Bermuda Select team next faced UK side Cambridge United and impressed with a 3-0 win. Xonti Burch gave the Bermudian side the lead with a long-range effort. Christian Phillips Steede sealed the win with two goals in the final ten minutes. The win was not enough to send the team into the Gold division for the second round.
“The U12s took on FC Kuala Lampur from Malaysia in their first group stage match in the Silver Division. Despite dominating the match, the Bermuda team found themselves a goal down with only two minutes left on the clock. Stevens stepped up and equalized giving the Bermuda team their first point in the silver division.
“On the second day of the tournament, the Bermuda Select team faced tough competition from Chennaiyin from India and Chelsea. They suffered a 2-0 defeat in their first match against Chennaiyin and then drew 0-0 with London team Chelsea. They secured their only win of the day after defeating Portuguese giants Benfica 1-0 through a Shiloh Stevens goal. Unfortunately, they ended the tournament with another 2-0 loss to Chennaiyin.
“The team’s participation in the Norwich City Min Cup UK was a valuable experience, providing them with exposure to elite teams from around the world. The BFA is proud of the team’s efforts and their representation of Bermuda on the international stage.
“As the Bermuda Select Under-12 team returned home on Monday, October 14th, 2024, the BFA looks forward to continuing to support their development and provide them with opportunities to compete at the highest level.”
