Technical Director Osian Roberts says his Wales under-15 boys football squad learned a lot from their Qatar experience, despite two disappointing results.
Playing in the Tri-Nations tournament against Ajax and Aspire Academy, the team suffered two defeats in their first taste of international football.
But the national team assistant manager insists the learning the boys have done on and off the pitch, during the tournament held at the impressive Aspire Academy, will stand them in good stead for the future.
Speaking to aspire.qa, he said: “It has been a good opportunity to measure our progress and face teams that we not play against normally and this can only make us better and assess where we are as a team and where we aim to be.
“The boys will be disappointed but will learn from the experience and for sure it has been good to participate in the competition and we are grateful to have been invited by Aspire Academy.”
FAW Trust Chairman Peter Lee and CEO Neil Ward were also with the boys in Qatar and met with Aspire Academy Director General, Ivan Bravo to discuss areas of mutual co-operation and a potential coach education and development exchange program in the future.
Mr Lee said: “I am confident that Qatar will organise and host a successful FIFA 2022 World Cup after what l have seen of this country’s approach to sport development.
“We were delighted to be invited to play the Tri-Series competition and just like Qatar we in Wales believe that the strength and future of any football team is related to the work done in its football academies.
“It is phenomenal that whereas elsewhere in the world football academies are the breeding ground for clubs, here Aspire is doing that for a whole nation of Qatar and that’s just fantastic.”
