On Saturday, 17th February, the AAESS secondary
girls’ football team travelled to Al Dhafra school to participate in a tournament alongside 7 other fantastic opponents.The girls played with strength and confidence as they worked as a team to achieve excellence during every match. Sometimes it was hard and the girls faced setbacks, but their spirit was uplifted by their ever encouraging captain, Rama El Baitam, who, despite a nasty injury, managed to score (sometimes multiple goals) in every match. She was closely supported by Tehana De Klerk, a year 10 who excelled and showed her maturity and skills.

The team had four injured players who showed resilience as they didn’t sit out or miss one match. They communicated brilliantly with one and other which allowed those who were injured to have a balanced amount of work. They strived for excellence and excellence is exactly what they got.

Manor Hall School were tough opponents in the final game, and it was difficult to predict who would walk out on top. But as the pressure piled on, AAESS’s determination shone through, and it was clear towards the end of the second half who would be crowned winners, with Rama scoring the team’s 3rd goal.

Due to their immense team spirit, hard work, and technical skills, the girls came out of the tournament on top, bringing the (very heavy) tournament trophy back to AAESS.

Congratulations to Rama El Baitam for winning “the best player trophy” and to all of the team for their outstanding performance: Yara El Baitam, Yarah El Hayes, Selma Babic, Blythe Chapman, Farzona Mukhamedove, Ye-Eun Ahn, Ashely Whittaker, and Tehana De Klerk. Special recognition goes to the hard work and dedication of Mr Gamil, who commits his time every Monday to train the girls.