NMI U17 team off to Kuwait for AFC qualifier

The NMI U17 Men’s National Soccer Team was sent off with good luck and well wishes last Monday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville for their trip to Salmiya, Kuwait.

The team will compete in the Asian Football Confederation U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers from Oct. 24 to 28, 2024.

There are 10 groups in the tournament, with the NMI in Group G.

The team will have three matches and the first team they will go up against is powerhouse Australia on Thursday, Oct. 24. They will then square off against Indonesia on Tuesday, Saturday, Oct. 26, before taking on host Kuwait for their final match on Monday, Oct. 28.

The team consists of 23 players—Edward Arriola III, Gauis Ranada, Nolan Ngewakl, Riku Takahashi, Yutaka Kadokura, Aiden Camacho, Chan Woong Yeom, Chan Seo Yeom, Rooney Gil, Terrel Kileleman-Hix, Benetton Haro, Akoni Matsumoto, Kian Estolas, Theo Joab, Taiga Namai-Scoggins, Jayson Tagabuel, Jack Raho, Taher Shakir, John Quidato, Emaon Tang, David Xing, Moshe Sikkel, and Mark Costales.

They will be joined by head coach Konomi Suzuki; assistant coach Jireh Yobech; goalkeeper coach Takumi Kanda; team manager Khristelle Itaas; equipment manager Bernadette Horey; and team doctor/physiotherapist Hazel Mabasa.

In attendance during the send-off were Northern Marianas Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan, NMIFA general secretary Ross Zapanta, NMIFA Executive Committee members Alex Sablan and Catherine Attao-Toves, and family and friends of the team.

Sablan, in his opening remarks, gave many thanks. First, he thanked the coaches and administrator accompanying the team who hopefully will coach them to victory; then the clubs and their coaches, the volunteers, and the parents of the players who brought them to the games and practices throughout the years.

“We have come a long way in building very good teams when we send them off to competition. They are going to face fierce competition even at U17,” he said. “It’s going to be fierce competition but I know that these young men have been putting the time and effort in. I know that you are concerned about your kids playing in the rain and in these conditions sometimes, but this is about conditioning for the team to go out and play on the international tour of competition. “

He added, “We’re hopeful that they are going to be able to compete and be winners in this competition and we’re thankful for their efforts thus far.”

In Attao-Toves’ closing remarks, she also thanked and acknowledged NMIFA, the clubs, and the player’s parents. “It is with these relationships that players transition into becoming a national player.” She added, “We understand the sacrifices you’ve made to get you to where you’re at right here at this moment. With every sacrifice, great achievements will follow as you take foot on the international stage. Keep that eye of the tiger that will empower your strength, confidence and courage, and play with the heart of a champion, because that is exactly who you are to us. You are our champions. Collectively, we are proud of you. We are mighty because we are NMI.”

For team captain Ngewakl, he thanked the NMIFA staff for supporting them throughout their career and made them ready for this moment. Arriola added, “We are grateful for the opportunity to play abroad and we’d like to thank the officials and our parents especially, for taking us to practices for a while now. We’re just looking forward to being able to represent and make you guys proud.”