Cape Verde will host the inaugural WAFU-A Zonal qualifiers of the African Schools Football Championship from Monday 19 December to Wednesday 21 December 2022. The three exciting days football jamboree will take place in the Cape Verdean Island of Santiago.
The participating schools will be competing for a ticket to the maiden continental CAF African Schools Football Championship tournament in April 2023.
Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto of Mindelo will represent hosts Cape Verde in the girls’ category alongside Scan Aid (The Gambia), College Fo De Fissa (Guinea), Ecole Congresso de Cassaca (Guinea-Bissau), Complexe Scolaire Les Talents Sportifs (Mali) and Cem Amdadou Ba Sampathe of Senegal.
While in the boys’ category Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto of Mindelo will be flying the home nations flag with New Yundum (The Gambia), Complexe Scolaire Ben Sekou Sylla (Guinea), Ecole Maria Montessori (Guinea-Bissau), Ecole Ben Omar Sy (Mali), Ecole Moctar Hamidoune (Mauritania) and Senegal’s Lycee Koutal.
The WAFU-A tournament is being held after UNAF, COSAFA, UNIFFAC and WAFU-B have concluded their zonal qualifiers.
The African Schools Programme is a development project that focuses on schools’ football, organized through the African Schools Football Championship, which supports programs that increase the social impact of football and empower participating countries to administer football through training programs.
“Holding the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Cape Verde, especially being the first edition of the WAFU-A Zone, means a lot to us, especially prestige for our country, and confidence in the Cape Verdean Football Federation,” said Mario Semedo President of Cape Verde Football Federation.
He added: “We see this as a strong bet on our organizational capacity. The future of sport is youth and youth are also the future of our African continent because sport helps young people to avoid negative behaviors.”
The Santa Cruz Municipality Stadium will host the matches and the official opening ceremony will take place on Monday at 10:00 GMT.
On the sidelines of the tournament, there will be several workshops and training sessions on Safeguarding with other sessions focusing on Young Reporters, Refereeing and Coaching. The objective is the help the youngsters to have several options in football.
Source: Cafonline.com
