Western United young guns Luka Coveny and Harry Casci have been called into the New Zealand Under 20’s side for a trip to Chile next month.
Set for two matches in the capital Santiago, the camp will prepare the team for the FIFA U20 World Cup which is also to be played in Chile in September.
Coveny has been a regular at youth level for New Zealand at Under-17 level as well as with the Under 20’s.
Last year, Coveny captained the Junior All Whites to the OFC U-19 Boys’ Championship title, guiding a defence that didn’t concede a single goal and winning the Player of the Tournament award.
While Coveny is a considerable veteran in the international scene with New Zealand, this selection represents a first for Casci.
A tireless midfielder, Casci won the Western United Under 23’s Club Champion award in 2024, the same year in which he made his VPL 1 Men senior debut.
He has continued that form into this season where he has become a regular in the senior side under Andreas Papanicolaou.
Western United General Manager of Football Mal Impiombato is looking forward to seeing both players push for a place at the FIFA U20 World Cup.
“It is fantastic to see Luka and Harry rewarded for their continued development and we congratulate both players on this achievement,” he said.
“With the FIFA U20 World Cup coming up and we are enthusiastic about our young talents being involved in opportunities to expose themselves to that level and the calibre of football associated with it.
“Luka has been a constant in the New Zealand set-up and we are excited to see Harry step into the national team for the first time.
“We wish both boys all the very best in Chile and look forward to watching their progress.”
This camp will mark a busy couple of weeks for Coveny and Casci as both players took part in the HKFC Soccer Sevens tournament at the weekend.
The pair each scored a goal in the tournament as Western United won the Shield Final, defeating the home team Hong Kong FC.
