Mumbai boys will face colts of Inter Milan, Notwane FC and SAFA

The thrill on the face of 16-year-old Crish Shah is evident. From playing in the backyards of his home to slugging it out in the inter-school tournaments, Crish and 15 other children from the Premier India Football Academy (PIFA) have the opportunity of their lifetime when they take on the juniors of some of the best teams of the world in the Future Champions Under-17 tournament to be held in Pretoria, South Africa, from March 23-29.

PIFA will be up against the colts of Italian giants Inter Milan, Notwane FC from Botswana and South Africa’s SAFA Sedibeng Select in the group stages.

“This is so exciting! Till now, we used to play with our friends, knowing how each one plays. But now we will be playing abroad, which is a different story,” a visibly elated Crish said. If PIFA go through the group stages, they could meet Brazil’s Corinthians or
Argentine club Boca Juniors. But the task won’t be easy for PIFA, who will take this trip as more of a learning experience. “You all should not only give your best shot but learn from the other teams as well. Look at their techniques and style of play. This will be a great learning experience for all of you,” advised two-time Olympian SS Narayan.

PIFA leave for Pretoria on Saturday night and will open their campaign on Monday.