Last year, Vietnam was invited to take part in the world largest program to seek football talents “Football Dreams” in 18 countries. The country will continue joining this program in 2009.

The three best young footballers of the Football Dreams 2008.

Football Dreams 2008, held by the Qatar-based Aspire Institute, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, attracting over 20,000 boys at the age of 13 from 18 provinces and cities.

After two rounds of recruitment, experts from Barcelona selected the best 50 players for a five-day course at the HCM City-based Thanh Long Sports Centre with experts from Aspire Institute. The three best of them, including Phan Kien Trung from HCM City and Doan Hoai An and Ngo Di Cu from Ca Mau province, participated in a one-month training course in Qatar in January 2009, with 17 excellent young players from Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Iran, and Paraguay.

During this course, Vietnamese players attended a friend match against young players of Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan clubs.

This year, Football Dreams will be carried out in 14 countries, including two Asian countries – Vietnam and Thailand. The program opens for football players who were born from 1994-1996. It will commence in April and close in July in 63 provinces and cities of Vietnam.

The qualifier round will be held at 70 stadiums with around 704 players/stadium. 176 players who passed this round will be divided into 16 teams to compete in the second round, under the eyes of experts from the Aspire Institute. The 50 players will be selected from this round, who will attend a five-day course with 70 coaches, under the instruction of the former director of young football training of Barcelona Club, Peres Gratacos. The three best will be sent to a one-month course in Qatar.

The chief coach of the national squad, Henrique Calisto is very keen on this program, saying that it will contribute to promoting the developing of Vietnam’s football.

VietNamNet/SGGP/VNE