Aberdeen FC Youth Academy to once again host elite tournament

The Katoni Cup, AFC Youth Academy’s popular elite 5v5 indoor tournament returns for a fifth year to Aberdeen Sports Village this weekend.

In partnership with event sponsor, Katoni Engineering, the highly competitive event will see teams from U12’s (2011) compete to win the Katoni Cup.

The competition which combines traditional five-a-side rules with Futsal, has attracted the top teams in Scotland, with the 2023 edition featuring Celtic, Dundee, Hamilton Accies, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Ross County, and Rangers.

The tournament will be a fun filled afternoon with music between matches to provide added atmosphere, individual player awards and will combine all the elements of competition that come with being a professional footballer.

CEO at Katoni Engineering James Bream is delighted to once again be associated with this top youth tournament.

He said:  “We are delighted to continue our support for the Katoni Cup. Not only does this tournament support the development of young talent in Aberdeen as they aim to reach their maximum potential, but it also brings a highly quality event, that is viewed as best practice in player development, to the north-east of Scotland. This can only be good for profile of our city. The talent on show is fantastic and we are excited to see more stars of the future this weekend.”

Reflecting on the continued success of the Katoni CUP, AFC Foundation Phase Manager, Liam McGarry, is looking forward to seeing another batch of talented youngsters in action on Saturday.

He added: “We were delighted to see the return of the Katoni Cup last year following a two-year absence due to the pandemic, and this year I’m pleased to see we have continued to attract some of the top teams in the country.

“The reputation of the tournament continues to grow and there is clearly an appetite for a showcase event such as this where the best players in the country at that age group are able to display their technical and creative ability in a competitive environment.

“We’re grateful to Katoni Engineering for their continued and committed support of the event. With their backing AFC continues to play a pivotal role in helping to nurture develop the top talent in the north-east of Scotland.”

The Katoni Cup gets underway at Aberdeen Sports Village at 12.15pm on Saturday.

Good luck to all the young Dons!