The Under-12 Bermuda football team beat Portuguese giants Benfica and drew with Arsenal at the 2024 Norwich City Mina Cup UK last weekend.

The 1-0 win over Benfica, courtesy of a Shiloh Stevens goal, in the latter stages of the tournament was the highlight of a competition featuring some of the biggest academies in Europe.

Stevens was again on the scoresheet in Bermuda’s opening game, in which they lost 3-1 to Feyenoord, before the side produced a good defensive performance to hold Arsenal to a 0-0 draw.

The young Gombey Warriors then found their shooting boots to beat Cambridge United 3-0, with Xonti Burch giving his side the lead with a long-range effort and Christian Phillips-Steede scoring two goals in the final ten minutes.

While the team did not make it into the Gold Division for the second round, they continued to play in the Silver Division and were unlucky to only draw 1-1 against FC Kuala Lumpur, from Malaysia, with Stevens producing a late equaliser.

On the second day of the tournament, the Bermuda Select team faced tough competition, losing 2-0 to Indian side Chennaiyin but picked up a good point after a 0-0 draw with Chelsea.

Then came the fantastic victory against Benfica before they ended the tournament with another 2-0 loss to Chennaiyin.

The team's participation in the Norwich City Mina Cup UK proved a valuable experience, providing Bermuda’s young players with exposure to elite teams from around the world and the Bermuda Football Association is looking forward to continuing to support their development and provide them with opportunities to compete at the highest level.