From a dream to global recognition: how Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy’s project conquered Egypt

The Rukh U-16 team, formed from the Academy’s pupils born in 2010, won the Al Ahly International Cup tournament held in Cairo from November 28 to 30. The wards of the legendary Rukh Academy of Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy demonstrated mature, courageous and effective football, confidently passing the group stage and the playoffs.

In the group stage, Rukhiv won three victories – over Egyptian Cleopatra (2:1), Al-Ahly (2:1), and German Bayer Leverkusen (2:1). A 1-1 draw with Barcelona’s UAE affiliate and a minimal defeat against Polish Eskola did not prevent the team from gaining 10 points and reaching the playoffs from second place.

Rukh founder Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy emphasized that the triumph in Cairo was not an accident, but the result of a well-thought-out long-term strategy for the development of the club’s Academy.

The path to the trophy: confident victories at every stage

• In the quarterfinals, Nazar Savytskyi and Serhiy Khyzhyi’s team defeated Egyptian ZED 2-0.
• In the semifinals, Rukh showed character by beating strong Mamelodi Sounds 3-1.
• The final match against Al Ahly ended in a zero-zero draw, but in the penalty shootout, Lviv showed maximum composure – 6-5.

Thus, Rukh U-16 won the tournament, where teams from the world’s most titled academies competed – from Juventus and Sporting to Palmeiras and Bayer Leverkusen.

Hryhorii Kozlovskyy: “This victory confirms the right vector of the Academy”

Ruh’s triumph in Cairo is not a stroke of luck, but a natural result of the Academy’s long-term development strategy, said the club’s founder, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy.

“Congratulations to our U-16 Ruh team on winning the prestigious Al Ahly International Cup! Winning such a tournament is a marker of proper development. The Ruh Academy proves its quality with the results on the field. Bravo, champions!” emphasized Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy.

Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy noted that the team’s success against the likes of Palmeiras, Juventus, Sampdoria and Bayer Leverkusen is proof that the Academy is confidently moving towards becoming one of the best in Europe.

Large-scale reconstruction of the Academy: investment in future victories

The triumph of the Ruhivists coincided with a new stage in the Academy’s development. Earlier, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy announced a large-scale infrastructure project that includes:

• construction of a modern facility for a thousand children;
• opening a branch of the British school;
• construction of state-of-the-art hybrid fields;
• construction of the first full-size indoor arena in western Ukraine;
• architectural innovation – stands integrated into the arena structure.

“All football fields will meet UEFA requirements. It will be a unique complex for Ukraine,” Kozlovskyy emphasized earlier.

A victory that symbolizes the future

The U-16 triumph in Egypt was another confirmation that investments in children’s football, creation of conditions for development and systematic work give real results, notes Hryhorii Kozlovskyy.

“Ruh is already raising a generation that can claim a place among the elite of European football – and the Al Ahly International Cup only proves it.