Acfa Football Academy leaves for Spain
Athletic Club Football Academy will send 50 young footballers and eight officials to Spain next week to compete in the prestigious Mad Cup 2026 in Madrid, Spain. The Windhoek-based academy will be represented by its under-12, under-14 and under-15 teams at the tournament, which runs from 18 to 25 June and is expected to attract […] The post Acfa Football Academy leaves for Spain appeared first on The Namibian.
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Athletic Club Football Academy will send 50 young footballers and eight officials to Spain next week to compete in the prestigious Mad Cup 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
The Windhoek-based academy will be represented by its under-12, under-14 and under-15 teams at the tournament, which runs from 18 to 25 June and is expected to attract more than 800 teams from around the world.
Athletic Club Football Academy (Acfa) technical director Ricky Averia says the academy’s participation follows a successful trip to the Gothia Cup in Sweden and the Dana Cup in Denmark last year.
“Through networking and meeting other teams and managers, they recommended that we participate in the Mad Cup as well. We decided to give it a go with the interest from both the players and parents,” Averia says.
The academy will depart Namibia on 17 June, with many parents also expected to travel alongside their children.
Averia says preparations for the trip began nearly a year ago and involved extensive planning by a dedicated travel committee responsible for fundraising, visa applications, and logistics.
“It takes quite a logistical effort from the club and the parents alike. We have a travel committee that handles everything from gathering funds to visa applications and planning,” he says.
The tournament is organised in partnership with Atletico Madrid and is expected to feature youth teams from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Porto.
Averia says the opportunity offers much more than football development.
“These tournaments are part of our player development process. We believe competing at this level will enhance their football development, but it also teaches life skills that cannot be taught on the football field,” he says.
The trip will be particularly significant for many of the young players, with approximately half of the travelling squad never having left Namibia before.
“Out of the 50 children, maybe half of them have travelled outside Namibia and the rest have never travelled outside the country,” Averia says.
He says the academy is working to ensure talented players are not excluded because of financial limitations.
“We are seeking sponsors to help children who cannot afford these trips because it gives them an opportunity to travel and experience other football cultures.”
While Acfa will aim to be competitive, Averia says the tournament will also provide a valuable benchmark for measuring the academy’s progress against international opposition.
“It will give us a good indication of where we are in terms of our level as an academy and as players. We definitely want to compete and our players always want to win.”
Beyond the results on the field, Averia says international tournaments help create valuable networks and potential opportunities for talented young footballers.
“We always believe talent is well distributed in Namibia and Africa, but opportunities aren’t. If we can provide these opportunities, hopefully one of our talented players can pave his or her way onto the European stage.”
The academy’s participation in the tournament forms part of its broader vision of exposing young Namibian footballers to international competition while helping them develop both as athletes and individuals.
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