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Innocent Kurira, [email protected]

FIFA Forward and Projects Manager in the country, Kudzai Chitima, has been invited by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to assist with event management at the African Schools Football Championship, which is being held in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The four-day tournament, which started yesterday and concludes on Friday, is expected to showcase the best young football talent from across Africa, providing players aged 12 to 15 with the opportunity to compete at the highest level and create unforgettable memories.Zimbabwe hosted the Cosafa edition in December 2023 in Harare, which was won by South Africa in the boys and girls categories.

The championship includes both boys’ and girls’ teams, featuring seven teams in total, six from each zone, with an additional spot for the hosts, Tanzania. Group A features Tanzania, West African giants Senegal and Uganda, while Group B comprises Cosafa champions South Africa, Benin, Guinea and North African representatives Libya.

In a statement yesterday, Zifa highlighted the importance of the schools’ tournaments.“The CAF African Schools Football Championship is not just about football; it is a pioneering event with significant implications for the future of the sport on the continent. It aims to nurture future leaders through a variety of workshops and programmes designed to provide valuable knowledge to young players beyond the pitch.

This initiative leverages the power of football to positively impact communities within and around the participating schools, fostering growth and development both on and off the field,” read the statement.

Winners of both the boys’ and girls’ competition will each receive US$ 300 000 prize money, runners-up each receiving US$200 000, while the bronze medallists will each take home US$ 150 000, courtesy of CAF’s partnership with the Motsepe Foundation to be utilised for development projects within schools. —@innocentskizoe