Preparations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup begin this week with Head Coach Des Buckingham holding an identification camp in Auckland as he continues the preparation for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland later this year.
Wellington Phoenix are once again well-represented by Academy players including the likes of Benjamin Waine and Tacettin Kumsuz.
Wellington Phoenix Academy Director and U-17 NZ Assistant Coach, Paul Temple, expressed his delight at the number of players heading to the camp.
“It’s great to have as many New Zealand representatives in the Academy and it’s good to see the crop of talent we have here are constantly getting into all age groups of the international set-up.
”Seeing the likes of Sarpreet Singh and Liberato Cacace progress through the Academy to now, where they are performing at a very high level in the Hyundai A-League, is exceptional.
”It’s really special for players in the Academy to see where they can go and it gives them that incentive to perform every week in the summer league with the goal of getting into the first team.”
Wellington Phoenix Academy players such as Willem Ebbinge, Callan Elliot, Zac Jones and Boyd Curry were already involved in the squad that qualified New Zealand for the FIFA U-20 World Cup and it likely that will form an extended squad in early April.
The FIFA U-20 World Cup will be staged from 23 May to 15 June with the Official Draw for the FIFA U-20 World Cup taking place on 24 February at the Gdynia Sports Arena in Gdynia, Poland.
Wellington Phoenix Academy Players Involved in the Camp
Ronan Wynne
Gianni Stensness
Tacettin Kumsuz
Sam Sutton
Ben Waine
