Western United’s Under 23’s side will join together with Football Empowerment for a friendly match on Friday December 24, celebrating opportunities for footballers in the West.
The Christmas Eve clash will take place at the Club’s NPL training base at Caroline Springs George Cross and will see United’s youth and fringe players get an opportunity for competitive minutes ahead of next season.
Football Empowerment is a program that carries out community-based football initiatives and events targeted at young people with a passion for the game.
As well as drop-in futsal clinics and afterschool skill sessions, Football Empowerment’s Player Program provides a unique opportunity for talented young players to take meaningful steps towards achieving their goals in the game.
The program identifies young culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) footballers, sharing with them resources and mentorship opportunities while facilitating training sessions and matches so they can continue to build their skills and have a platform from which to be seen by clubs in Victoria.
Football Empowerment strives to see more CALD athletes entering the sports industry, and in just five years it has seen great success already.
Western United has already had a great connection with the program, with scholarship players Adisu Bayew and Ajak Deu both coming through the program as well as Sabit James, who made his debut in the FFA Cup, and a number of other members of United’s NPL squad.
The Club looks forward to working together more closely with Football Empowerment through this and other opportunities in the future as it seeks to provide opportunities to players of all backgrounds in the West.
Football Empowerment’s annual African Nations Cup Victoria is set to take place in January, where the state’s best CALD players come together to compete for the ultimate prize at the end.
