Football fever hit LIS recently in a very big way with the second LIS football camp in partnership with the European Football Academy (EFA). The Academy has permanent bases in London, Luxembourg and Bahrain but, between the months of March and May, the camp tours various African countries including Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Seychelles and Angola.

The Academy was set up to help young people develop their footballing skills and tactics. It was also set up to promote self-confidence, physical fitness and a healthy and active life style. Training sessions took place over an eight day period from 1600 to 1800 and the three coaches, Rob Hunter, Robbie Hunter and David Murphy put some 125 year 2 – 12 students through their footballing paces.

The event proved to be very enjoyable and popular and was rounded off with a final presentation, during which all players were presented with certificates, attended by coaches, participants, parents and senior school managers.
Finally, for those students who cannot wait a full year for another footballing camp experience Rob Hunter may be contacted at eurofootballcamps@yahoo.com for details of camps being offered in School holiday periods at various locations.

---Bora Rancic

Football Report: LIS ladies take revenge against Portuguese School

School footballers took a pause from the 2nd annual football camp in partnership with the European Football Academy on Saturday April 17 to participate in a special training session that led to a number of 6 a side games involving LIS players and their counterparts from the orphanage and the Portuguese school.

The European Football Academy coaches – Rob Hunter, Robbie Hunter and David Murphy – put the various groups through their paces in preparation for the matches. At the same time Tomi Hirmasto, our own goalkeeping guru, led a highly successful goalkeepers’ session.

All the players clearly enjoyed the various drills ahead of the matches. The orphanage took on the boys select and, in the three games that were played, were twice victorious with the home team taking the final match.

At the same time the girls took on their old rivals from the Portuguese school and, from the start, it was clear that the rivalry would continue from where it left off in the pre-Christmas encounter. The home girls had lots of possession that was soon turned to a 1 – 0 advantage after a solid Haley Talbot strike. However, all out attack has its disadvantages and soon the visitors nudged their way into a 2-1 lead following two breakaway efforts. Not to be outdone, and undeterred by the visitors rattling the woodwork on more than one occasion, the home girls fought back to equalize through debutant Isadora Rocha before Jessica Talbot scored her first representative goal and the eventual winner.

It was a great match played in a great spirit and now both the girls and the boys look forward to representing LIS at the annual American International School of Johannesburg 6 a side meets in early May. Special thanks to Hayley Talbot who, for her MYP Personal Project, has designed two full uniforms for two squads of twenty. The shirts herald the logos of both the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), LIS as well as the word ‘ANGOLA.’