Ghana midfiedler Michael Essien has been named the ambassador for this year's Premier Cup Africa youth tournament to be held in Holland from next week.
Forty eight of the finest African under-15 footballers are making final preparations before travelling to Holland next week for the Premier Cup Africa Qualifications at NIKE's European Headquarters in Hilversum.
Teams from Ghana Algeria and Egypt will take part in the Opening Ceremony & Draw on Monday 15 June at 1900hrs, before tournament matches kick off on 16 June.
The Final takes place at midday on Wednesday 17 June, when the top two teams will walk out at NIKE's Hilversum Campus to battle for the title of Premier Cup Africa Champions and win a highly coveted place at the 2009 MUPC World Finals in August.
From youth clubs to some of the most renowned names in football; over the last 16 years Premier Cup has offered more than a million young footballers a truly unique experience to live the dream of world-class competition.
Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi, Robinho, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Torres, are just a few of the tournament's famous “old boys” who have since made it to the top.
With a wealth of emerging talent in Africa, players from across the continent will soon be joining that illustrious list.
One of Africa's most famous footballing sons is Chelsea and Ghana Black Stars' midfielder Michael Essien , Tournament Ambassador for this year's Premier Cup Africa Qualifications, who said: “ This is a fantastic tournament and a great opportunity for talented young footballers to experience top class international competition at an early age.
“The teams who have made it to Holland are already national champions, but they will now face new challenges. Most of these boys will be abroad for the first time and they will have to adapt as they face opponents with completely different styles of play. It's a great chance for each player to measure not only his talent but also his level of performance.
Essien also had a personal message for the youngsters travelling to Holland : “This tournament will test your skills, your passion, your determination and your ability to perform under pressure. Try your best every minute of every match and, win or lose, make sure you learn as much as possible from the experience.”
Participating in Premier Cup for the first time this season, Chabab Erriadhi Djazairi is the first Algerian team to secure their place in the Africa Qualifications and the chance of a place at the World Finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup this summer.
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