The U13 side of the Minerva Academy FC created history on Saturday (22 July 2023) as the youth side won a crown in a popular international club competition in Sweden, Gothia Cup 2023. It was the first time an Indian club claimed a Gothia Cup trophy.
What is the Gothia Cup?
According to the official website, the Gothia Cup is the world’s largest and most international youth football tournament. It started in 1975, and since then, it has grown wildly. The tournament was started by the Swedish football clubs BK Häcken and GAIS and a local newspaper. Since the early 80s, the tournament has been owned entirely and solely by the BK Häcken.
Currently, around 1700 teams from 80 countries participate in the various age-group competitions of the Gothia Cup. In 110 fields, 4500 matches have been organized in this event.
In the entire Gothia Cup 2023, five Indian clubs participated, including Minerva Academy FC and SKF India in the Boys 13 event.
Gothia Cup 2023 Boys 13: Minerva Academy FC won the title
Gothia Cup 2023 Boys 13 was an Under-13 competition. A total of 194 teams from 27 countries participated in that youth tournament. The one-week competition ran between 17 July and 22 July 2023, where the group stage started with 48 groups, each consisting of four teams.
Minerva started from Group 38, where the group champion Indian club advanced to the 1/32 round of the tournament. Not only the 1/32 round, but the Indian youth side also won the 1/16 round, 1/8 round, 1/4 round, semi-final and final to win the trophy. The Indian club completely dominated in that tournament, as they scored 46 goals and conceded two goals in nine straight wins.
Among the Minerva players, MD Jayed scored nine goals, while KH Azlaan Shah and Lairenjam Sanathoi Meitei both scored seven goals each in that youth competition.
Meanwhile, though SKF India also finished as the Group 6 champions with three out of three wins in the group stage, they lost the 1/32 round by 0-6 against the USA side FC New England Harris.
Here, we have brought the brief scorecard of all the matches of Minerva Academy FC in the Gothia Cup 2023 Boys 13.
Group Stage: Group 38
17 July 2023 (Monday): Minerva Academy FC (3) vs (0) Swedish club BK Olympic White
18 July 2023 (Tuesday): Estonian club FC Infonet Tallinn (0) vs (3) Minerva Academy FC
19 July 2023 (Wednesday): Swedish club IK Sleipner Blue (0) vs (12) Minerva Academy FC
Playoff A: 1/32
20 July 2023 (Thursday): Minerva Academy FC (5) vs (0) Norwegian club Hasle-Løren IL 1
Playoff A: 1/16
20 July 2023 (Thursday): Minerva Academy FC (5) vs (0) Swedish club AFC Eskilstuna
Playoff A: 1/8
21 July 2023 (Friday): Swedish club Önnereds IK 1 (1) vs (10) Minerva Academy FC
Playoff A: 1/4
21 July 2023 (Friday): Minerva Academy FC (3) vs (0) Swedish club FC Bellevue 1
Playoff A: Semi-Final
21 July 2023 (Friday): Spanish club Tecnifutbol Academy (0) vs (2) Minerva Academy FC
Playoff A: Final
