NORTH Coast football prodigy Logan Sambrook has clinched a coveted spot in the 23-man Joeys squad set to represent Australia at the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia from 3-20 April.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for the young talent, whose journey began on the fields of Northern Storm Football Club and soared through North Coast Football’s Premier Youth League, resulting in a scholarship with A-League powerhouse the Central Coast Mariners last year.
Australia finds itself in Group B of the prestigious tournament, lining up showdowns against Vietnam on 4 April, the UAE on 7 April, and a highly anticipated clash with Japan on 10 April.
Duncan Marchant, General Manager of North Coast Football, expressed jubilation at Sambrook’s selection, emphasising the pride felt throughout the regional football community.
“We are super proud of Logan’s achievements and it really goes to show if you are from a regional town and have the dedication, there is a pathway to the highest levels,” he said.
“Logan was a talented junior at his grass roots football club Northern Storm and continued to progress through his hard work ethic and coachability at representative level in the Premier Youth League.
“Logan has everything, speed and strength are his greatest attributes but he also has great awareness on the football field and scores a lot of goals with both feet and his head.
“He is a really nice lad and deserves all the success he gets, we are all thrilled for him,” Marchant said.
Sambrook is joined in the squad by another North Coast and Mariners talent in the squad, Camden Haven’s Haine Eames.
“Logan, hailing from Northern Storm FC, and Haine, a product of Camden Haven Redbacks (Football Mid North Coast), exemplify the talent, dedication, and perseverance fostered within our football communities,” said Northern NSW Football CEO Peter Haynes.
“Both young men, having been developed within regional NNSW have been forging impressive careers with Central Coast Mariners FC and now step onto the international stage, representing Australia at the Asian Cup where both boys have played key roles through the qualification process,” Haynes said.
The U17 continental tournament serves as qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, with the top eight teams earning a place.
This means that if the Subway Joeys secure passage out of their group, they will punch their ticket to
the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time since 2019.
Brad Maloney’s squad will arrive in Saudi Arabia in a rich vein of form, having been most recently crowned Hattrick U17 International Tournament Champions, in a cycle which has also included a successful ASEAN U16 Boys Championship campaign, and strong results in tours of both Europe and the Pacific.
Joeys head coach Brad Maloney said he was looking forward to commencing final preparations for the tournament.
“We’ve been progressively building towards this Asian Cup, and I feel we’re in a great position heading into our pre-camp,” Maloney said.
“I’ve been really impressed with all the players that have been involved in our program.
“I can’t fault their application and effort in implementing both our playing style and off-field standards; they’ve helped shape a strong culture that’s become integral to our success.
“We’ve had some positive results throughout this cycle, which has been a great reward for the hard work from both the players and staff.
“This is a very important step in our journey, and we’re fully focused on achieving the goals we set as a group during our first assembly in Europe in early-2024,” Maloney concluded.
By David WIGLEY
