The UAE-based Mina Cup has announced a partnership with the SuperCupNI, one of the lead youth-football tournaments in the world.
The Mina Cup, launched in Jebel Ali last year at JA Sports Centre - JA Resorts, confirmed on Tuesday night that a reciprocal arrangement has been agreed with the tournament known formerly as the Milk Cup, involving age-group teams from the respective competitions playing in each other's event.
As part of the new agreement, winners of the Mina Cup’s Under-14 UAE qualifying competition this autumn will qualify for next year’s SuperCupNI Premier section. Meanwhile, winners of this year's SuperCupNI Minor U13 section will take a place in the 2024 Mina Cup’s U14 section.
Staged in Northern Ireland, the SuperCupNI features representatives from some of the game’s most recognised youth academies. This year celebrating its 40th anniversary, it has previously provided a platform for the likes of David Beckham and Marcus Rashford to showcase their talent.
Mina Cup founder Chris Brown, who competed as a player in the former Milk Cup, said his experiences of taking part in Northern Ireland inspired the formation of his own youth tournament.
“Since moving to Dubai, I’ve been heavily involved in football and now run a football company that focuses on youth development, coach education and football event management and promotion,” said Brown, a long-time UAE resident.
“We are blessed with some incredible facilities in Dubai. For years, I had been thinking of trying to organise an elite youth football tournament and, at the back of my mind, I wanted to deliver an event that replicated the quality and standard of the SuperCupNI.
“I played for Crewe Alexandra at the tournament in 1996 where we lost to [Tottenham Hotspur] in the semi-final. It was an incredible experience, and some of the memories from that tournament are things I will never forget.
“It is an extremely well-run tournament with fantastic crowds and a real feel of what it would be like to be a professional footballer at a young age.”
SuperCupNI chairman Victor Leonard added: “Chris and his team had originally contacted us for advice as he was about to launch the Mina Cup.
“Since then, we have kept in close contact. He is coming to Northern Ireland in July to take in the tournament, and some of our tournament management team will hopefully go to Dubai to take in the Mina Cup in the near future.
“We are keen to build this relationship in the future, and we are really looking forward to working with Chris and his team.”
The Mina Cup comprises teams at U12s, U14s, U16s and U18s level. Its inaugural edition was held last April and featured sides from Barcelona, Manchester City and La Liga.
This year's tournament will run from 1-3 April, with its opening ceremony on March 31. Thus far, entrants include Crystal, Southampton, New York Red Bulls and Yokohama FC.
