Geraldton soccer stars on the international stage at 2022 Borneo Cup

Some of Geraldton’s best soccer talents have put their skills to the test on the international stage at the 2022 Borneo Cup.

It is considered Asia’s premier youth football competition, showcasing the young talent of more than 450 teams across 17 countries.

Twelve players from the Mid West region travelled to Kota Kinabalu in East Malaysia to compete across the under-14s, 15s and 16s squads.

The U14s have already completed their tournament with a fourth-placed finish.

In their first game on Sunday they beat a side from the Philippines 2-1.

In game two against a strong Malaysian Makati FC, the WA side fell behind 3-0 before Liam Amri and McEntee pulled it back to 3-2 but unfortunately they were unable to find an equaliser.

With a semifinal place at stake, they needed something against the host side Malaysian TABS and with the last kick of the game, central defender Samuel Chansongo scored to give WA a 1-1 draw.

That set up a semifinal against the strong St George Australia side and despite a spirited showing, WA went down 2-0.

Football West development manager Alex Novatsis said the cup was an opportunity for young players to not only develop their game but experience different cultures from around the region.

“The Borneo Cup is an opportunity for young footballers from around South-East Asia to participate in an international tournament,” he said.

“It’s a chance for them to progress their skills as a footballer but also participate in cultural exchange with players from around world.”

“The boys themselves have done really well so far in adapting to a new environment and how they’ve developed as a group.”

The under-15s have endured a tough start to their tournament drawing nil-all in their opening match before falling 3-1 to TABS in their second match.

It leaves them with work to do if they are to make finals while the under-16s began won their first warm-up match 3-0 over Sabah FA.

Mid West players participating in the tournament:

Logan Kirkland

Laird Manuel

Jackson Burns

Zeke Forrester

Yiu Yeung Lin

Caleb Swart

Mathijs Travasso

Max Winton

Paul Holmes

Matthew Greenlees

Tom Manuel

Cade Munro