TeamCuzz Academy

With the recent transfer embargo threatening the future of big clubs in England, TeamCuzz find themselves in a very peculiar position too. Although one signing has already been sealed for the next January transfer window, there seems to be no sign of future additions to the squad. The manager is thus seeking the TeamCuzz academy for the next crop of talents to sustain the team for the coming years. Here's a brief preview of the rising stars of the TeamCuzz academy.

Name: Akmal Juhari

Position: Goalkeeper/ U12 Captain; Jersey Number: 1

TeamCuzz's future Captain, smiling meekly as he effortlessly controls a backpass with his Predator Crocs.

By virtue of being the youngest ever guy Cuzz (hence the 'oldest' of the crop of lads here), Akmal has been earmarked as TeamCuzz's Captain ever since he was born. Aside from keen interest in cars & gardening, this 8 year-old has shown that his hands are an invaluable asset in Team Green's soccer victory at Pasir Ris park in recent times. His commanding voice is also distinctly recognised on the pitch.

Name: Khairul Kamarudin

Position: Centre-Back (or just about anywhere); Jersey Number: 76

Young lad with big boots to fill.

After a successful stint with TeamCuzz, Amirul Kamarudin is undergoing the 2nd portion of the co-ownership deal with Geylang United. His roots remain firmly rooted with TeamCuzz though, with the presence of his younger brother, Khairul. Labelled as a more natural talent by his own dad, Khairul is a diamond waiting to be polished. His prefered position on the pitch is non-existent as he plays everywhere, apparently.

Name: Ahmad Nabil Fazlon

Position: Right Flank; Jersey Number: 88

The charismatic winger, showing off the one and only mercurial crocs.

Charisma exudes from this 7 year-old wherever he goes. Although equally competent with his hands as with his feet, his enthusiasm has made him a natural winger. He looks most suited for a position on the right wing, where like Kadir Yahya (a close resemblance to his dad), his pace will leave defenders in their wake. His flamboyance and mastery of the Malay language has also generated rumours on the possibility of having TeamCuzz.com in Malay.

Names: Zaki Zulkhairi & Lukman Zulkhairi

Positions: Attacking & Defensive Midfield; Jersey Number: 1+6 & 61

The Zulkhairi brothers drinking water from the infamous cannister, while getting instructions during half-time.

The first pair of brothers to come through the ranks of Manchester since the Neville brothers. They have since quitted the club though, due to their dad's conflict of interest with his beloved (yet not particularly good) Reds. Both have qualities to showcase in their own right. While Lukman looks set to replace his dad in the Nigel De Jong role in midfield, Zaki seems to be moving towards the mould of Sanli Tuncay - a fleet-footed player who could probably change the outcome of a game in an instance.

Name: Danial Lutfi Nurashikin

Position: Striker; Jersey Number: 101

Mouthing a wee-weet.

Due to an injury sustained in the final game of last season, Nurashikin has now firmly set his focus on churning out the best in his son Danial. The young lad has strong physical presence and never looks shy at making his presence felt. With his constant "wee-weet" whistles, Danial is almost certainly meant to be TeamCuzz's gal-getter. Errr I mean goal-getter.

Name: Md Fareez Aidil Sufyan Shukur;

Position: Left Flank; Jersey Number: 99

"Huh?!?" Clueless expression emphasises the extent of the language barrier.

With only "big ball" & "small ball" as part of his limited soccer vocabulary, there is still a huge language barrier that needs to be bridged before this talent could break through TeamCuzz's senior team. If interests are of any indication, Fareez might have bags of pace to burn and has showcased techniques well beyond his age. His left foot will also be an asset, providing a one-for-one replacement for his dad. Commentators though, are not looking foward to this talent for the most obvious of reasons.

Ahmad Hakim Rustam Effendy

Position: Scout; Jersey Number: AH

Talent-scouting, or talent being scouted?

If on-pitch soccer talent does not suffice, then the acamedy is also preparing young talent for off-pitch posts. Having been sent to KL for sometime now, Hakim has gotten a better sense of our neighbours to increase his and TeamCuzz's soccer knowledge there. He has recently been seen spotting a pair of specatcles, with reports suggesting that he now has an even keener eye for identifying potentially world-class players. He has also improved his mastery of the Malay language drastically to adapt to the local environment. Only time will tell when this flamboyant chap will come back to Singapore to fulfill his potential.

The depth of the academy is hoped to ease worries of fans on TeamCuzz's future in attracting the best talents in the world. With a comprehensive system to forge relations among this kids, as well as to let them achieve their potential through a team sport, the future can be said to be sufficiently bright. As Gudjohnsen Senior found out, sons could well take away a dad's position in the team. Viewed positively, that is the legacy which dads will leave behind for their sons & kids of the next generation.