Australia's young men and women footballers play

Australia’s finest young football talent will be on display when Sydney plays host to the Australian Youth Olympic Festival next month. Australia’s male and female teams will face Japan, Korea and China during the tournament which takes place at Valentine Sports Park in Glenwood from 17-21 January. Football will be one of 16 sports on the program having been included for the first time.

The men’s football tournament is for athletes under 18 years of age as at 1 January 2007 and the team, selected from the Australian Institute of Sport scholarship athletes, will be coached by current AIS coach Steve O’Connor. The squad is: Laurence Braude (Maroubra NSW), James Brown (Kingscliff NSW), Isaka Cernak (Ferny Hills QLD), Peter Cvetanovski (Yagoona NSW), Luke Devere (The Gap QLD), Apostolis Giannou (Sydney NSW), Richard Greer (Algester QLD), James Holland (Gorokan NSW), Marco Jesic (Bossley Park NSW), Matthew Jurman (St Johns Park NSW), Tahj Minniecon (Slacks Creek QLD), Matthew Mullen (Wynn Vale SA), Jason Naidovski (Prestons NSW), Andrew Redmayne (Mt Elliott NSW), Sebastian Ryall (West Pymble NSW), Alex Sunasky (Golden Grove SA), Jerrad Tyson (Belconnen ACT), Stefan Vrbesic (Brisbane QLD)

The women’s football tournament is for athletes under 16 years of age as at 1 January 2007 and the squad will be coached by Mike Mulvey who has been appointed to coach the Australian U-17s women’s team that will attempt to qualify for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in 2008. The squad is: Tameka Butt (Mudgeeraba QLD), Danielle Calautti (Cannington WA), Alesha Clifford (Winmalee NSW), Stefania Cola (Quarry Hill VIC), Rhali Dobson (Wauchope NSW), Casey Dumont (Elanora QLD), Alisha Foote (Logan Reserve QLD), Sophie Hogben (Mt Gravatt East QLD), Jenna Kingsley (Cambridge Park NSW), Rebecca Kiting (Weetangera ACT), Ella Mastrantonio (Beaconsfield WA), Kirstyn Pearce (Kanwal NSW), Vedrana Popovic (Moorooka QLD), Elizabeth Sharpe (Corlette NSW), Kyah Simon (Quakers Hill NSW), Samantha Spackman (Harrington Park NSW), Emily Van Egmond (Valentine NSW), Samantha Wood (Riverview NSW)