The second edition of the SATUC World Cup for unpriviliged children, organized jointly by Sheikha Al-Thani's foundation of the same name and the Bulgarian Football Union, was widely considered as an unprecedented success. The 12 participants in the tournament held at the National Football Base "Boyana" in Sofia between August 12 and August 15, not only showed their pure football talents but achieved the greatest mission of the noble cause - to make new friends and to embrace true hope for the future.
The newly-crowned champion is the team of Nigeria which won 4:0 against Liberia in the final, while Bulgaria won the bronze medals by beating the hugely talented Moroccan side 4:2. During the tournament the host team, lead by coach Metodi Zdravkov, recorded four victories and only one defeat - in the semi-final against the future champions from Nigeria. The Bulgarians' overall performance also lead to an invitation for the next edition of the SATUC Cup next year.
One of the key moments in the emotional last day of the tournament was the visit of the special ambassador Nuno Gomes. The Portuguese legend held a press conference at the "Boyana" base where he especially thanked the SATUC foundation and the BFU for the organization of the championship. "It is an extreme pleasure for me to be here in Bulgaria as an ambassador of this noble cause. I had no doubts in my mind to accept Sheikha Al-Thani's invitation - initiatives like this should not be a one-time thing, but should go on in time for as long as possible. I personally promise to do everything for this tournament to continue. I would also like to congratulate the Bulgarian Football Union for the construction of this wonderful base", said Gomes.
The former Benfica star took part in the special ambassadors' game between Egyptian and European stars including Bulgarian legends such as Yordan Lechkov, Emil Kostadinov, Petar Houbchev, Georgi Donkov, Angel Stoykov and Boncho Genchev. The charity match finished 4:3 to the European team and Sheikha Al-Thani herself played one half for both sides.
After the big final the champions from Nigeria were presented with the trophy by Sheikha Al-Thani and the BFU president Mr. Borislav Mihaylov; the ceremony also included Nuno Gomes, the deputy general secretary of the Bulgarian Football Union Mr. Pavel Kolev and all the ambassadors and members of the organizing committee. Asen Traykov (Bulgaria) won the individual prize for best goalkeeper; the top scorer and player of the tournament awards went to Usman Hosseini (Nigeria), while Edwin Johnson (Liberia) was chosen as the "Player that you will read a lot about" - an award presented by the head of the Bulgarian Sports Journalists' Association Mr. Nayden Todorov. The fairplay award went to the Indonesian team.
The organizing committee of the SATUC World Cup would like to thank all teams, all ambassadors, officials and volunteers, for their hard work in making this an unforgettable experience for the children in need.
