Africa-Press – Namibia. Talented footballer Popyeni Akwenye, the Julinho Athletics FC midfield sensation, is set to follow in his father, Nelson ‘Dicky’ Akwenye’s, footsteps and ultimately hopes to represent Namibia through various national teams.
The young player recently travelled with his team, Julinho Athletics FC, on a European soccer tour in Gothenburg, Sweden, to compete in the Gothia Cup 2025 boys under-14 category.
The team left for Sweden over the past weekend, and will compete against their peers FC Nordic Tigers, Almhults IF and Surte IS FK for top honours.
The tournament, scheduled from 13 to 19 July, is the world’s largest and most international youth football tournament.
A statement on the Julinho Athletics FC tour says around 1 900 teams from 75 nations are competing by playing over 5 000 games on 112 sport fields.
“I am so excited to take part in my first international match and I look forward to seeing how other players from around the world play on the pitch. The weather had an impact on my performance but we pushed through and because of our training, we’ve gotten used to the various pitches,” Akwenye says.
Julinho Athletic FC played their first match against Surte IS FK at Furulunds IP and was able to slide with a 3-0 victory.
“Team work is so important, a goal scored by one is a goal scored by all and this victory starts our string of matches on a good note,” he says.
Responding to questions by The Namibian Sport, the young lad attributes his inspiration to Ngolo Kante.
“My favourite local team is obviously Julinho Athletic FC and the international team is Real Madrid CF,” he says.
The team will not only compete in the Gothia Cup, but also the Dana Cup which takes place a week later.
It is Denmark’s largest sporting event and one of the largest, top-ranked youth tournaments in the world. It will take place from 21 to 26 July.
Since 1982, the Dana Cup has welcomed 50 nations, 1 000 football teams, and 2 000 supporters each summer.
Akwenye is ready to experience going global, with this being only the beginning of his soccer journey, as his dream remains playing for the big leagues.
“My dream is to play on a professional level in the premier league. However, as I am reminded every day, academia comes first and finding a balance is important,” he notes.
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