Nigerian academy, Mavlon Football Club have confirmed their participation in this year’s Olea Cup U17 tournament in Croatia.
The Abuja-based club announced on Instagram that they will be in Croatia for the tournament billed for the 7th to 11th October 2024.
Head Coach, Muyiwa Showole emphasised the importance of international exposure for young players stating, “This is one of the avenues with which we expose our players.”
“The boys are ready and will be going to compete for the title,” he said in an interview with Myleaguewire.
“At Mavlon, we start exposing the boys to international competitions from age 15 and the team has had good success over the years.”
Mavlon FC are reputable for participating in international tournament. Recall that in their most recent outing, the club lost by a lone goal to Congolese side Centre National Brazzaville in the semi finals of the 2024 Viareggio Cup held in Italy.
“What we’re doing as a project is ensuring we’re getting our talents into Europe. It is part of our continuous development, creating exposure and ensure they remain competitive.
“We were the only African team that made it to the knockout phase in the last Viareggio. The boys are showcasing their talents, and a lot of interest are coming from Europe.”
The team will be led by the Nigeria U17 captain Cletus Simon (Dada). The 16-year-old midfielder will have an opportunity to showcase his talent to the world again in Croatia.
Also playing in this year Olea Cup are Croatian professional sides HNK Rijeka, Dinamo Zagreb, Osijek, Red Star Belgrade among others.
The Olea Cup tournament is held in cooperation with the Football Club of Novalja, under the patronage of the Croatian Football Association, the City of Novalja and the Tourist Board of the City of Novalja.
