Representing: Event organiser (back centre) Abbas Al Najar with members of all the different nations and teams playing in the tournament.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Abbas Al Najar continues to bring the community together through football.
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The young Shepparton business owner organised the Iraqi Golden Cup in October last year and, as the name suggests, the tournament was for Iraqi entrants only.
Al Najar was initially inspired to organise a football tournament for his Iraqi community after he saw a video online of a mosque playing the sport together.
But he received so much enthusiasm and interest in the event from the wider community that he’s kicked off 2024 with the Shepparton Nations Cup, Shepparton’s first ever nations tournament.
Teams
Group A: Iraq, Congo, Italy, Nepal, Albania
Group B: Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Türkiye, Middle East
“The Iraqi Cup was such a huge success, I decided to do another tournament with all the other communities involved,” Al Najar said.
“We’re bringing together the diverse communities of Shepparton through soccer.”
Ten different teams are participating, with nine different nations and a mixed-nation team split into two pools for the initial group stage.
Kicking things up a notch: Following the success of the Iraqi Golden Cup last year, Abbas Al Najar has organised a new soccer tournament open to nations and communities across Greater Shepparton.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The first game kicks off on Friday night, January 12, at 7pm on the back pitch at McEwen Reserve, Shepparton.
Winners of the groups will move on to a knock-out stage, with games taking place twice a day at 6pm and 8pm (all at the back of McEwen Reserve) until Sunday, January 21.
Preliminary finals matches will take place on Tuesday, January 23, and Wednesday, January 24, before a winner is crowned following the grand final at 7.30pm on Saturday, January 27.
Week 1 fixtures
Friday, January 12
7pm: Iraq v Albania
Saturday, January 13
6pm: Australia v Pakistan
8pm: Afghanistan v Türkiye
Sunday, January 14
6pm: Albania v Nepal
8pm: Iraq v Congo
The games have increased from teams of eight players playing 60-minute matches to full 11-a-side games at 70 minutes long during the group stage and 90 minutes during the knockout stage.
Al Najar said more than 15 businesses were sponsoring and supporting the event.
He encouraged soccer fans to come along and watch, with free entry to the games and all the fixtures available online at the tournament’s Instagram page, @shepparton.nations.cup
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