The renowned Senegalese academy Generation Foot is aiming for the trophy at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup 2023, which starts on 17 May in Zurich.
The Generation Foot academy will face Olympique de Marseille (France) and Swiss clubs FC Zürich and FC Basel 1893 in group A.
The Senegalese academy has earned a reputation as one of the best structured football training centres in the world, having produced stars such as Sadio Mane, Pape Matar Sarr, Ismaila Sarr, Diafra Sakho, Papiss Cisse and many others. The institution's young talents are hoping to make their mark on the annals of the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup.
"It is a great opportunity for us, players of the Académie Génération Foot, to be invited to participate in the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup. It is good for us to play there and I think they invited us to this competition because Generation Foot is one of the best training centres in the world." Allasane Sy, Generation Foot defensive midfielder.
In February 2023, Generation Foot Academy won the fifth edition of the Mohammed VI Cup, beating Real Madrid, Academie Mohammed VI and Fus Rabat in their race for the competition's top title.
"We did well in the competition in Morocco, where we won the cup, and we hope to do the same in the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup. We want to show that we are among the best academies in the world. Our opponents will have a tough time," added Allasane Sy.
Academie Generation Foot joins a long list of African academies such as T.P Mazembe, Fc Nania, Kaizer Chiefs, Abuja Unity Boys, Al Ahly Cairo, and Mysterious Dwarfs who have already participated in the event.
Founded in 1898, FC Blue Stars is the oldest club in Zurich and one of the first in Switzerland to have its own training system. The club organised a tournament in 1939 to support the development of its youth.
FIFA took over the "Blue Stars Tournament" in 1991, before renaming it the "Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup" in 1995.
Some of the biggest names in world football such as Sir Bobby Charlton, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Shabani Nonda, Leandro Paredes, Granit Xhaka, Gerard Pique, Kaka, Jay-Jay Okocha and many others have taken part in the tournament in the decades since.
The Swiss team FC Basel will participate in the 83rd edition of the tournament as the men's title holders.
