ACT Boys head to Japan, Sydney sign Canberra Youth

Dane Milovanovic, Sam Munro from the ACT are in the Young Socceroos squad currently in Japan with new AIS Dutch Coach Jens Verslaijen. See squad/games below.

And Merryn Sherwood from Canberra Times has all the news on the first Canberra boys to sign A-League Youth contracts.

And the Under 17 Aussie Women match/squad details are below

SBS Cup (Shizuoka Broadcasting System)
Location: Shizuoka City, Japan
* Saturday 23 August, Australia v Japan
* Sunday 24 August, Australia v Shizuoka Province
* Tuesday 26 August, Australia v Argentina

Qantas Young Socceroos Squad. 1. Andrew Redmayne (GK) - Central Coast; 2. Sebastian Ryall - Melbourne Victory; 3. Nathan Elasi - Melbourne Victory; 4. Luke De Vere - QLD Roar; 5. Mitchell Nichols - QLD Roar; 6. Tahj Minniecon - QLD Roar; 7. Jason Hoffman - Newcastle Jets; 8. Jason Naidovski - Newcastle Jets; 9. Daniel Mullen - Adelaide United; 10. Milos Lujic - Oakleigh (VIC Premier League); 11. Stefan Vrbesic - Las Palmas, SPAIN; 12. Sam Munro – AIS; 13. Matthew Jurman - Sydney Olympic, NSW Premier League; 14. Thomas Oar - QLD Roar; 15. Mark Birighitti (GK) - Adelaide United; 16. Niko Tsattalios - Sydney FC; 17. Dane Milanovic - AIS; 18. Daniel Thomas (AIS).

Coach: Jan Verslaijen

Women’s Training Camp
Location: Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra.

* Monday 25 August, 11.00am - Australia U17 Women v Japan U19 Women

U17 Women’s Squad. Alice Wellingham (QLD), Alix Roberts (Country NSW), Amy Higgins (QLD) Ashley Brown (VIC), Brittany Whitfield (QLD), Caitlin Foord (NSW), Courtney Miller (NNSW), Elizabeth Grey (NSW), Emily Van Egmond (NNSW), Erika Elze (QLD), Hannah Brewer (NSW), Heidi Makrillos (NSW), Jesse Wharepouri (NSW), Mikaela Hatzirodos (QLD), Nicola Bolger (NSW), Nicole Calder (SA), Rebecca Bennett (WA), Rebekah Stott (QLD), Sadie Lawrence (WA), Sally Thurston (QLD), Sam Kerr (WA), Tara Andrews (NNSW), Teigen Allen (NSW), Stephanie Catley (VIC).

Coach: Gary Phillips

And from the Canberra Times, Merry Sherwoord reports:

A little under 12 months ago Kofi Danning was running around in Capital Football's premier league for the O'Connor Knights.

But at the end of next month the 17-year-old striker will complete a remarkable rise when he lines up for Sydney FC's youth team in the new national youth league.

A-League team Sydney FC has signed two Canberra players, Danning and Sam Munro, 18, for its inaugural season in the national youth league. Both Danning and Munro have been with the AIS team for the past year, but Danning only started a full scholarship this year.

After playing for Canberra FC and then the O'Connor Knights in the ACT premier league, Danning was invited to train with the AIS squad last year and impressed then coach Steve O'Connor and now current coach Ray Junna enough to claim a full scholarship.

Now Sydney FC youth coach, O'Connor was quick to snap up the Ghana-born Danning for the youth league team making the transition from ACT premier league to Sydney FC in around a year.

''He's certainly got potential,'' O'Connor said.

''He's very athletic, he's very quick and can play with both feet. He still has work to do in the fine technical points of the game and can better his technique in areas but they are all things you can keep working on.

''If he is serious about his game he can make an impact.''

Munro who was born in Sydney but has been in Canberra as part of the Capital Football Academy and ACTAS programs for the past few years - is currently overseas with the Young Socceroos team in Japan. Fellow Canberran AIS scholarship-holder Dane Milovanovic is also in the squad.

''They are both good players and they both have potential,'' O'Connor said. ''I obviously had them for some time when I was down there, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to play in the youth league.''

O'Connor said he expected both Munro and Danning to play important roles in Sydney FC's youth team. Danning will fly in for each game and remain with the AIS for another year while Munro is likely to move to Sydney.

The national youth league will start on the last weekend of September