The sun was shining as the Emerging Socceroos Championships kicked off under perfect conditions at Valentine Sports Park, Sydney on Sunday.
Before the tournament began, the opening ceremony took place where the team captains and vice-captains were presented with their armbands.
Day one of the tournament saw Northern NSW Football’s under-15s go down in a hard-fought defeat, while the under-16s secured a win after an energetic performance.
Under-15s
NNSWF under-15s kicked off their campaign with a 3–1 loss to Football South Australia, despite a positive second half.
Football South Australia came out of the gates firing and found the back of the net early.
The Under-15s gained some possession following the opening goal, but despite their best efforts, Football South Australia added two more.
Moments before half-time, NNSWF goalkeeper Balyn Mottley made a fantastic diving save to keep his side within reach.
NNSWF entered the second half with renewed determination and fought hard for every ball.
Raman Dalaf found the back of the net early in the second half, but the goal was ruled offside.
Matt Cahill continued the push for NNSWF’s first goal of the tournament, but his effort narrowly went over the byline.
Dalaf’s efforts paid off in the 39th minute when Jack Cameron delivered the ball into the box and Dalaf tapped it in.
Football South Australia searched for a fourth goal, but strong pressure from NNSWF continued to deny them.
Despite their never-give-up attitude, the under-15s were unable to find another goal and fell 3–1.
They will now regroup to take on Northern Territory at 10am on Monday 20 April.
Under-16s
The under-16s opened their 2026 campaign in strong fashion, securing a 2–0 win over Football South Australia.
NNSWF started with intensity and took an early lead in the eighth minute when Levi Van Haren delivered a cross into the box, allowing Zac Zigic to rise above the defence and head home.
They continued to press, with Jack Middleby coming close to doubling the lead but was denied by the goalkeeper.
A solid defensive performance from Kaiden Walshe, Payton Wheeler and Tobi Man ensured Football South Australia couldn’t find a way back into the game, giving NNSWF a 1-0 advantage at half-time.
The second half began perfectly, as Zigic scored his second goal just three minutes in, finishing from a tight angle after a well-timed pass from Man.
Football South Australia’s challenge became even tougher after being reduced to 10 men in the 40th minute.
Despite continued attacking efforts, NNSWF couldn’t add a third goal but comfortably held on for a 2-0 victory.
They’ll aim to build on this momentum when they face Northern Territory at 2.30pm on Monday 20 April.
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge commended the squad for a strong showing on the first day of the tournament.
“I’m really pleased with both squads' efforts today in what were ultimately two really difficult games,” Doidge said.
“The under-15s will be disappointed with their result but they really showed in the second half how to compete at that level, and I'm interested now to see how they go on in tomorrow's game and on Tuesday's game. Hopefully they take that bravery, that creativity in the final third into those games.
“We challenged the under-16s on the back of last year's tournament. We challenged them to show a real determination, desire, enthusiasm, out of position and they absolutely showed that today.
“In my opinion, they were good value for a result. Most pleasingly out of that performance was the individuals throughout. There'll be some boys that can really look in the mirror today and be happy with their individual performance.
“Overall, two good performances that we can absolutely build on and looking forward to tomorrow's game.”
More on the Emerging Socceroos Championships
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