Ambitious Football Academy’s registration is open now

An academy for aspiring footballers which is led by renowned players of Mumbai has started taking admissions who want to learn football professionally. The first centre of KSA – Ambitious Football Academy would be at Karnataka Sporting Association Ground in Churchgate.

Former India international Steven Dias along with his former club teammates Vijith Shetty and Santosh Koli formed Ambitious Football Academy, a Mumbai-based academy which believes that the time is right to involve young kids who want to pick up Football as a career.

Steven Dias, Vijith Shetty and Santosh Koli have completed their coaching licences. The former India International completed his ‘A’ licence, whereas, Santosh Koli have acquired ‘B’ and Vijith Shetty have completed ‘C’ licence, respectively, from AFC (Asia Football Confederation).

With such a vast experience of playing at the top level and now with a proper football coaching experience, the Ambitious team is confident to achieve success in this new exciting journey.

The first workshop of  ‘KSA – Ambitious Football Academy’ was held on 2nd December 2017 at KSA Ground which was a free workshop. More than 40 children turned up for the first day of the workshop where they were taught basic drills by the likes of Steven Dias, Vijith Shetty, Santosh Koli, Anthony Fernandes, Henry Picardo, Jinto Jose and Vikas Singh. The day 2 of the workshop went on to astonishingly witness more than 70 children who were also taught the basics of football.

Later that month, Ambitious Football Academy held a two-day football fest for U18 Boys and Girls at Don Bosco Kurla on 23rd and 24th December. Both the day saw more than 80 kids who participated in this extravaganza football fest which was widely appreciated by the parents for conducting a meaningful Football Fest for the kids of Kurla.

The first centre of Ambitious would be at Karnataka Sporting Association (KSA) Ground with the training reportedly to kick-start in mid-January. The academy is starting with three age category, U-12, U-15 and U-18, which would be a huge opportunity for the kids to learn football from such an early age. The tentative days of the training are Wednesday, Friday (evening), Saturday & Sunday (morning).

To get enrolled in the Ambitious Academy, one can register themselves at http://www.ambitiousfa.com. To know more about Ambitious Football Academy, you can contact or write at [email protected] or connect at 9930767835.

About Coaches

Steven Dias – Known as the ‘David Beckham’ of India for his free-kicks, Steven Dias’ name has been quite synonyms in Mumbai Football and as well as in Indian Football. The 33-year old is an attacking midfielder who plays on the wings and is known for his long-range shooting, set-pieces, crossing and passing. He is also a Certified AFC ‘B’ License coach which makes him a perfect mentor for young aspiring footballers.

Dias has played for some of the top clubs in Mumbai which includes Air India, Union Bank of India, and Mumbai Tigers. Back in his peak, Dias had played for one of India’s top leading clubs Mahindra United where he represented them in NFL (National Football League) and AFC Cup.

In later stages of his career, Dias also had a stint with Churchill Brothers, Mumbai FC and Indian Super League (ISL) side Delhi Dynamos. He was a regular for the Indian National Team where he played an integral role in India’s win in the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup. Dias has made a total of 51 appearances for the National side which spanned over 10 years where he scored seven times in the process.

We are glad to have Steven in our family who we are looking forward to working with in order to find and nurture the talent in Mumbai.

Vijith Shetty – Undoubtedly, Vijith Shetty is one of the best midfielders which came out of Mumbai Football. The talismanic experienced Midfielder has been making his name in Mumbai Football since the turn of the millennium. Vijith started his football journey with Union Bank of India (UBI) in late 1990’s before his talent was acknowledged by Mumbai’s best football club Air India.

The long-serving midfielder of Air India didn’t fail to impress his new suitors as he went on to win everything which came in his way. Vijith’s midfield prowess earned him a call in Maharashtra’s side where he represented his state in Santosh Trophy as a Captain.

Vijith is known for his short-passing, long-range passing, tackling and set-pieces. His game reading is top notch which is acknowledged by many in the fraternity of Mumbai Football. Just like his former teammate Steven Dias, Vijith is now a Certified AFC ‘C’ License coach.

In the summer of 2016, Vijith was named as the ‘Best Midfielder’ in the inaugural MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) Awards Night at Cooperage Stadium. Respected and Adored by everyone, we are delighted to see Vijith helping young aspiring footballers in building a successful career in Football.

Santosh Koli  Just like Vijith Shetty, Santosh Koli has been a long-servant for Air India. The experienced and versatile defender has protected Air India’s goal for a very long time now. Santosh Koli made his name during his stint with Mumbai Customs which earned him an astonishing move to Air India where he established himself as one of the best defenders in Mumbai. He has represented Air India in every competition and has represented Maharashtra in Santosh Trophy as a Captain in Kashmir, 2007.

Koli is exactly what a complete defender should be. From right-back to left-back to centre-back. With Football becoming quicker, the positions are becoming more demanding. Defenders are reactionary players, they have to adapt and react quickly to the opposition, that’s where Santosh Koli has mastered himself.

Koli’s agility, strength, tackles, positioning and game reading is what made him a great defender. Hundreds of players came and went, but over the years, if there is one name apart from his teammate Vijith Shetty, it is Santosh Koli who has been a regular for Air India.

We are pleased and excited to see young aspiring defenders training under the tutelage of Santosh Koli who also happens to be a Certified AFC ‘B’ License coach.

About KSA – Ambitious Football Academy

We are a Football Academy who is in the belief that the time is right to involve young kids who want to pick up football and educate them about the game. With the football craze growing in the country, we feel that it’s the correct time that we should do something from our side to help the sport grow further.

We are a dreamer, who dares to live for a cause of being best from the rest; we believe in our self and dream to fly above all. We are focused, we are determined; we have the zeal to achieve what no one has achieved yet. We enjoy pain for our dream, we take failure as experience, and we live success as motivation. No one can stop us in achieving what we desire; we pledge to deliver the best because we are the epitome. We are Ambitious, living for a dream to become a reality. We are committed to helping the sport grow further.

SSE BFC to conduct trials for U9 to U17 age group players

SSE BFC Soccer School will be conducting fresh trials this month for players aged below 17 to be part of their football program SSE BFC Soccer Schools is a football…

Share

India Khelo Football Season 3 Trials for Mumbai and Thane are here

India Khelo Football (IKF) is back with Season 3 of its widely acclaimed trials with an aim to cover more than 50 cities this time around. After the resounding success…

Share

Mastering the Art of Football Trials: Key Pre-Trial Factors to Keep in Mind

Football trials are a critical juncture for aspiring players to showcase their skills and secure a spot in a team. To maximize your chances of success, it’s essential to tailor your approach based on your playing position as well as keeping in mind a few pre-trial factors.

Share

Somaiya Sports Academy to conduct trials for MFA 2nd Division campaign

Somaiya Sports Academy is looking for passionate young football players for the Somaiya Sports Academy Football Team to compete in the MFA 2nd Division League 2023-2024. If selected, you will…

Share

BFC Soccer Schools – Mumbai to conduct trials for U14 & U16 Girls

The BFC Soccer Schools Elite team girls’ trials are coming up in search of talented players from the U14 to U16 (Born 2009 and after) age groups into the club’s…

Share

Opportunity to make the team: U.K.M. Kothrud FC conducts selection trials for girls team

Pune-based U.K.M. Kothrud FC has announced that they will be conducting selection trials for their girl’s team on 15th January 2023 The club welcomes all players to come and showcase…

Share

The Sunday Football League Season 4 is back

The Sunday Football League is back with its fourth season, and it’s shaping up to be the best one yet. With eight talented teams competing at the Kes Kandivali turf, there…

Share

BFC Soccer Schools Elite team trials in Feb

Bengaluru FC launched their Mumbai program last season with the Soccer Schools and Elite programs with its local partner Soccer Schools of Excellence (SSE).  Bengaluru Football Club is a professional club…

Share

India Khelo Football Season 2 Trials in Mumbai: A Chance to Kickstart Your Football Career

After conducting trials in 34 cities & villages across India, India Khelo Football is coming to Mumbai to hunt talent on 7th January. India Khelo Football kickstarted its season 2…

Share

Mumbai Customs to conduct trials for Elite League

Former champions Mumbai Customs will be holding open trials for the upcoming MFA Elite Corporate League (Elite Division) The 2019 MFA Elite Division champions Mumbai Customs are conducting open trials…

Share