India’s Minerva Academy defend World Youth Cup, complete European double
India’s Minerva Academy Under-12 boys have added another major international title to their growing collection, successfully defending the Gothia Cup after beating Brazilian side RS Sports Yellow 2-1 in a gripping final. The triumph comes less than a week after the Chandigarh-based academy finally got their hands on the Helsinki Cup, capping another memorable European tour.
If the Helsinki Cup win ended unfinished business from last year, the Gothia Cup was about proving they belonged at the top. Against another strong international field, Minerva once again showed why they have become one of the most respected youth academies outside Europe.
Kipgen Thangsanglen gave Minerva the lead before Mekhamkhraw Nongrem restored their advantage with a superbly struck free-kick after the Brazilian side had levelled. The youngsters then held firm to secure a second successive Gothia Cup crown.
The latest success continues a remarkable run for the academy, which has spent the past two summers making headlines across Europe with a string of dominant performances and trophy-winning campaigns.
MINERVA’S WORLD YOUTH CUP RUN
Minerva barely slowed down throughout the tournament, scoring freely from the group stage before overcoming their toughest challenge in the knockout rounds.
Group Stage
Beat Prep Schools Pumas Blue (England) 12-0
Beat Lillestrom SK 3 (Norway) 13-1
Beat Surte IS FK (Sweden) 16-0
Round of 64
Beat Legacy Academy (Kenya) 6-2
Round of 32
Beat Prep Schools Lions (England) 10-1
Round of 16
Beat OFC Couronnes (France) 17-1
Quarter-final
Beat Cancheritos FC (Bolivia) 8-0
Semi-final
Beat FC Lokomotyv Kyiv (Ukraine) 3-2
Final
Beat RS Sports Yellow (Brazil) 2-1
The only real scare came in the semi-finals against FC Lokomotyv Kyiv, but Minerva found another gear when it mattered most before finishing the job against Brazilian opposition in the title clash.
EUROPEAN DOMINANCE CONTINUES
The Gothia Cup title carries extra significance because Minerva arrived in Sweden as defending champions.
Rather than being weighed down by that expectation, they embraced it. The academy retained one of the world’s biggest youth football trophies only days after finally conquering the Helsinki Cup, where they had fallen short in last year’s final.
The back-to-back titles add to an extraordinary spell in Europe that already includes triumphs at the Norway Cup and Dana Cup, while their 6-0 victory over Liverpool’s Under-15 side at the Mediterranean International Cup earlier this year underlined the level this group has consistently reached.
What once looked like isolated upsets are now becoming a pattern. Wherever Minerva have travelled in Europe over the past two years, they have returned with performances—and increasingly trophies—that continue to raise the bar for Indian youth football.
– Ends
