Kanga Cup boasts proud Player of the Tournament history
Kofi Danning has been playing alongside John Aloisi during Sydney FC’s preseason and next week is likely to join the Australian Young Socceroos team on a tour of Argentina as an under-20 World Cup warm-up.
But just four years ago, Danning was just one of thousands of Kanga Cup participants at the annual junior soccer tournament in Canberra.
Except that even back then, the striker stood out a little bit above the crowd. In 2003, while playing in the under-12 s competition, and 2005, in the under-15s, Danning took home the award for Player of the Tournament in those two divisions.
Danning is part of an impressive list of Kanga Cup best player winners that have gone on to play for Australia. As well as Danning, there is Matilda Jenna Tristram, former Young Socceroo Shaun Ontong and current Australian under-20 and under-17 representatives Sam Munro, Chris Bush, Christine Walters and Ashleigh Sykes.
But Danning remembers his Kanga Cup’s particularly well, because they were some of the only chance for him to play against opposition outside Canberra.
The Ghana-born striker didn’t play for the Capital Football Academy, ACT Academy of Sport or ACT representative teams as a junior, preferring instead to play for his ACT club team Canberra FC in the junior league.
“It was a really good tournament because you get to play against teams from others states and other countries and that was really good because it gave me another aspect to the game that I didn’t have,” he said.
“I wanted to prove myself against other players and see how I compared and it was a great chance to do that, to see where I needed to improve and what I could work on.
“It was a great tournament as well, always lots of fun.”
Since then Danning’s career has quickly moved right to the top. After a year at the Australian Institute of Sport, he signed for Sydney FC’s youth team in 2008. He then scored two goals in his first three A-League games. He was then selected for his first Australian squad this year and made his debut for the Australian under-20s on a tour of Holland.
Danning said his advice to this year’s Kanga Cup players would just be to keep working hard.
“First of all to always have fun, that’s the most important thing,” Danning said. “And always to try and improve and always give it one hundred percent even if your team isn’t doing so well.”
The 2009 Kanga Cup awards will be presented today.
The cream of the crop - Former Kanga Cup award winners who have gone on to represent Australia
Jenna Tristram
Who they play for now - Queensland Roar W-League, Matildas
Kanga Cup best player in - 1999, Holiday Coast under-14s, 2001 Coffs-Coast under-19
Shaun Ontong
Who they play for now - Newcastle Jets A-League, [has played for Australian under-17 Joeys, Australian under-20s, Young Socceroos]
Kanga Cup best player in - 1999, Belwest Puma’s under-12
Sam Munro
Who they play for now - Sydney FC National Youth League, Australian under-20s
Kanga Cup best player in - 2002, Belsouth under-12
Chris Bush
Who they play for now - AIS, Australian under-17 Joeys
Joeys caps, 4.
Kanga Cup best player in - 2003, STFA White, under-11
Kofi Danning
Who they play for now - Sydney FC A-League, Australian under-20s
Kanga Cup best player in - 2003, Canberra FC Under-12, 2005 Canberra FC under-15
Ashleigh Sykes
Who they play for now - Canberra United, Young Matildas
Kanga Cup best player in - 2006, Dubbo Devils under-15
Christine Walters
Who they play for now – Canberra United, Young Matildas
Kanga Cup best player in – 2005, Woden Globetrotters, under -15