Merrylands FC are a football team from the Western suburbs in Sydney. Merrylands are a community focused football team that focus on inclusivity and sportsmanship. The football club established itself as an integral part of the Granville & Districts Soccer Football Association.

Merrylands pride themselves on having a supportive environment where players of all ages and backgrounds come together to share their love for football.

Merrylands U16 boys are a new team to the KEEPUP Kanga Cup for the 2023 tournament. Head Coach Mustafa Al Jaboore is confident that the boys will go all the way.

“We’re a new team this year. Honestly, I have one of the other coaches who is the U9’s coach and won with them last year,” Al Jaboore said. “The U9’s coach encouraged us to enter as well for this year’s KEEPUP Kanga Cup.”

“I said I’d take it into consideration, and I looked at the tournament and thought the boys were ready for it and we signed them up,” Al Jaboore revealed.

The KEEPUP Kanga Cup Tournament has just under 300 teams that come from across the country and some overseas. The football clubs in the Kanga Cup Tournament are community focused and come together to experience different playing styles.

Al Jaboore’s U16 Boys are a close bunch of boys who have been playing together for a few years which making the football free flowing with key communication.

“Most of them are friends from school, others are from just around the neighbourhood. They’re a great bunch of kids, great boys. They’re doing well in the tournament,” Al Jaboore commented.

Merrylands have showed their fierce competition with three wins, a loss and a draw in the KEEPUP Kanga Cup Tournament so far.

The KEEPUP Kanga Cup Tournament has teams from different states travelling interstate for a week worth of football that challenges teams.

“I’m most excited to just be able to travel,” Al Jaboore. “I just want the boys to get some experience in the competition and to come back ten times better than what they were at the beginning of the tournament.”

“I really like the people and the atmosphere here,” Al Jaboore said. “I think this really is one of the greatest competitions and atmospheres. The community is great here.”

Words: Shania McCormack