Ajax, Barcelona, Japan to play U-19 tournament in VN

November 13, 2013 | 09:30

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Ajax, Barcelona, and Japan have confirmed to take part in the international U-19 football tournament, or Nutifood Cup to be organized in Ho Chi Minh City in January, 2014, said Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) vice chairman Le Hung Dung.

The Vietnamese national U-19 team will play the host of the event.

“U-19 Barcelona was the first team to confirm their participation on November 8, followed by Ajax and Japan,” Dung told Tuoi Tre yesterday.

Now, the VFF is preparing contracts for signatures, as part of legal procedures, according to the official.

Nutifood will be the main sponsor of the tournament. Tran Thanh Hai, chairman of Nutifood’s board of directors, told Tuoi Tre that his company decided to award the winner of the four-team event a cash prize of US$100,000.

The second and third winners will earn $70,000 and $50,000 respectively, he added.

The Vietnamese national U-19 team, that comprises mainly players of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai – Arsenal JMP football academy located in Gia Lai Province, has impressed football experts with their recent results.

It defeated Australia 5-1 to lead group F of the Asian U-19 qualifying round last month, and won silver medal at the Southeast Asian U-19 Championships held in Indonesia in September.

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