Cuba's under-20 national soccer team is ready to compete in the upcoming 2013 U-20 World Cup in Turkey later this month, after receiving the official Cuban flag Thursday that will be unfurled at the tournament, media sources reported.

At a ceremony held in Havana's Jose Marti Revolution Square, president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), Christian Jimenez, delivered the Cuban flag over to team captain Jordan Santa Cruz.

"We are convinced that if you, guided by your trainers, uphold the values of unity, discipline and dedication, you will make Cuba very happy," said Jimenez.

Santa Cruz replied it was "a great honor" to represent Cuba at the soccer tournament, to be held from June 21 to July 31.

The Cuban soccer team will travel Friday to Malaga, Spain, where it will play two friendly matches, the first against Sweden's U-23 team on June 11, and the second against Gilbraltar (a British Overseas Territory) on June 15.

Two days later, Cuba's team will travel to Turkey, where it will debut against South Korea on June 21, in the first game of Group B, which also includes Nigeria and Portugal, twice champion of the U-20 Cup (1989 and 1991) and runner-up in Colombia Cup in 2011.

The Cuban team, led by Raul Gonzalez Triana, qualified to compete in Turkey last March, during the regional CONCACAF (Confederation of North American, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) qualification rounds, just behind Mexico, the United States and El Salvador.

At the Turkey World Cup, 24 countries and regions will take part in six qualifying groups, with matches held at the stadiums of Antalya, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istambul, Kayseri, Rize and Trebisonda.

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