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Tai Po v the world

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The Tai Po district under-15 football team is hoping to be placed in the same group as one of the glamour sides when the draw for the Manchester United Nike Premier Cup World Finals is made today.

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Some of the world's most famous football clubs have brought their under-15 squads to Hong Kong this week to contest the cup. Tai Po will be the first side from Hong Kong to line up in the finals after winning the Hong Kong leg of the competition. They skipped the regional finals in Thailand in May, qualifying automatically as hosts.

More than 8,000 under-15 teams worldwide have been fighting for the 20 places in the showpiece competition.

Manchester United Football Club and the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) will jointly host the event, with tournament matches played at the Happy Valley sports fields. The final will be played at 2pm on Saturday in the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium, in a curtain-raiser to the sold-out Hong Kong v Manchester United match.

Among the 20 qualifiers are United and their domestic rivals Arsenal, as well as RCD Espanyol from Spain, Italian giants Inter Milan, Paris St-Germain from France and Germany's Borussia Dortmund. Brazil's Fluminense, Argentina's Club Estudiantes de La Plata, and legendary Russian team CSKA Moscow have also qualified.

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'This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the boys to test their skills against rising stars from around the world,' said Tai Po coach Lee Chi-kin. 'They will play against the best young players in the world in front of their friends here in Hong Kong. It will be a great experience for them ... To play against Manchester United would be perfect.'

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