ABU DHABI: Two Manchester City Football Schools players in the UAE have set their sights on winning more international caps after playing for their national teams at age-group level.
Zakariyya Zafarullah, 15, and Zack Johnstone, 14, part of CFS’ Talented Player Programme, supported by e&, have represented Sri Lanka and Scotland respectively, after being spotted by scouting teams.
And, having donned the jerseys on the international stage, they are eager to add to their caps tally and are dreaming of playing for the senior teams one day.
Midfielder Zafarullah, who has three international caps for Sri Lanka Under-17s to his name, made his debut on his 15th birthday against Bhutan in a South Asian Football Federation tournament.
He told Arab News: “It was one of the best moments to wear the shirt of Sri Lanka and there was a lot of pride in representing my country … I had to adapt quickly and understand how we play as a team with new teammates.
“I’ve wanted to be a professional footballer since I was 3 years old and I’m still going for the dream. Playing for your country is one of the biggest dreams and that has come true for me. I would love to do that again.”
Left-back Johnstone has five international caps for Scotland after playing for the under-14s and under-15s, and made his debut against Canada. He received the news of his first call-up by email on the day he moved to the UAE in August 2023. He travels regularly to Scotland for training camps and matches.
He said: “At first I was nervous when I made my debut because I didn’t want to make any mistakes, but those nerves gradually went as the game progressed and I became more confident.
“It’s a great feeling to have played for my country and I’m happy to still be part of the set-up. My goal is to play for Scotland’s senior team and in the World Cup one day. That would mean everything to me.”
CFS’ TPP gives talented players additional training sessions and matches to accelerate their learning and development, with a pathway to professional clubs in the UAE and within City Football Group’s global network.
Zafarullah joined CFS in early 2023 and progressed through the development and select squads before being admitted to the TPP. He has seen his game improve in the two years of training with CFS.
He added: “They have helped me on the field to the stage where I am now more versatile, playing in different positions that I hadn’t played before.
“The coaches have been really supportive and suggest different approaches that have helped contribute to my development, while I understand the importance of a positive mindset.”
Johnstone said: “Physically I have got a lot stronger and I feel I have improved on every single aspect of my game. As we’re with the TPP, we get the extra challenge of playing an opposition that’s an age group above us. Obviously that helps us in our development of becoming better players.”
CFS has been providing opportunities for girls and boys to play football since 2012. It now boasts 10 locations across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ajman with the TPP one of five programs under its pathway structure.
Simon Hewitt, head of football operations MENA (Middle East and North Africa) for CFS, said the progress of Johnstone and Zafarullah showed that the UAE provided a strong base for producing future stars.
He said: “We are really pleased with how far Zakariyya Zafarullah and Zack Johnstone have come since joining City Football Schools.
“The pathway has been here for the last four years and has been carefully created to ensure it provides multiple opportunities for children to play and enjoy the game.
“Our methodology is the same that’s used by Manchester City Academy and the first team, so when players transition through our pathway and into the TPP it gives a great opportunity to open ways for professional clubs in the UAE and globally.
“We’re very proud to be able to deliver a comprehensive pathway here in the UAE.”
