As the sun shone, talented footballers continued to showcase their skills as the 2026 Emerging Socceroos Championships approached its final stages.
Northern NSW Football closed day five with one win and two losses.
Under-16s
NNSWF’s under-16s looked to secure a place in the Championship match but fell short 2–0 against Football NSW Navy in a hard-fought contest.
Football NSW Navy started strongly, putting NNSWF under early pressure. The under-16s absorbed the intensity in the opening minutes but conceded in the eighth minute.
Tobi Man came close to equalising in the 15th minute, getting on the end of a Levi Van Haren free kick, but sent his effort over the crossbar.
A promising move in the 18th minute saw Jack Middleby surge forward before finding Archie Kellett, who was narrowly denied by the goalkeeper.
NNSWF continued to compete throughout the first half but went into the break trailing 1–0.
Football NSW Navy came out determined to extend their lead in the second half, but a series of strong saves from NNSWF goalkeeper Bryn Wells kept them at bay.
While NNSWF found it difficult to break down Football NSW Navy’s defence, they were equally resolute at the other end, preventing a second goal for much of the half.
That changed in the 52nd minute when Football NSW Navy managed to break through and double their advantage.
NNSWF continued to push for a goal but were unable to find a breakthrough before the final whistle.
They will now turn their attention to the bronze medal match, where they will face Football South Australia at 10.10am on Friday 24 April.
Under-15s
NNSWF under-15s closed out their tournament with a 1–0 win over Football Victoria Country before falling 4–2 to Japan.
The side entered the morning clash determined to respond to the previous day’s penalty loss, with Marlon Ramires going close early as his effort drifted narrowly wide.
As Football Victoria Country applied sustained pressure, NNSWF remained composed and continued to push for an opener. A promising moment came in the 16th minute when Zac Wolfenden delivered a quality ball into the box, but Nate Kemp just missed connecting with his header.
NNSWF grew into the contest as the half progressed, enjoying more possession and creating further chances. Kemp had another opportunity in the 26th minute from the top of the box, but his strike was well saved.
The teams went into half-time locked at 0–0, with NNSWF showing plenty of intent.
Matt Cahill and Raman Dalaf both tested the goalkeeper early in the second half, but Football Victoria Country’s shot-stopper continued to stand firm.
The breakthrough finally came in the 50th minute when Max Ferguson capitalised on a defensive error. Driving into the box, Ferguson finished confidently, his shot clipping the post on its way in.
NNSWF searched for a second goal but had to settle for a 1–0 win at the final whistle.
They returned to the field in the afternoon for the 13th v 14th play-off against Japan, who struck early with a goal in the sixth minute.
NNSWF responded well, with Dalaf rounding the goalkeeper and finishing into an empty net to level the scores. He added a second in the 14th minute, finding the bottom-right corner to give his side the lead.
Japan hit back quickly, equalising in the 18th minute, and the teams went into the break tied at 2–2.
Despite NNSWF’s efforts to regain control in the second half, Japan maintained their attacking momentum, scoring in the 43rd and 47th minutes to secure a 4–2 result.
NNSWF’s under-15s finished the tournament in 14th place, taking valuable lessons and experience to build on over the next 12 months.
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge expressed a mix of pride and optimism as he reflected on day five at Valentine Sports Park, praising the under-15s’ efforts and backing the under-16s ahead of their bronze medal play-off.
“That wraps up the penultimate day here at Valentine Sports Park. The under-15s have now finished their tournament after they started stronger this morning with a great victory and a great performance and then just fell short here playing against the Japanese Academy,” Doidge said.
“It was a good opportunity for our under-15s in terms of the opposition this afternoon and having a chance to play a team from a different region, different country and different culture. So that was a challenge for our under-15s.
“I’m really looking forward to see what they do over the next 12 months, follow their development to hopefully come back in a real strong position after what has been a challenging tournament for them.
“Hopefully they use this as an experience to learn from, to grow from, and we'll bring them back next year.
“The under-16s will now play the third and fourth play-off tomorrow. So again, for the numerous years in a row now for Northern NSW football, we will be competing for another medal, which is great news.
“They just fell short today in the semi-final, but congratulations to [Football] NSW Navy and I’m really looking forward to seeing if our under-16s can go one last push and come away with a medal, which they thoroughly deserve.
“Overall, it’s been a great tournament so far and one more day to go.”
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