Zimbabwe is expected to finally make its debut in the CAF African Schools Football Championship next year after missing out on the first edition of the football developmental competition due to the country’s suspension from international football by FIFA.
The championship, which was launched last year, is designed for school-going boys and girls aged between 12 and 15 years.
The inaugural edition of the competition was held in April in Durban, South Africa with CS Ben Sekou Sylla from Guinea and Fountain Gate School of Tanzania being crowned champions of the boys’ and girls’ competitions respectively.
The winning teams each received US$ 300,000 after the Motsepe Foundation donated USD$ 10 million in the inaugural year of the Pan-African schools competition.
Zimbabwe has received an invitation from CAF to feature in the second edition of the competition.
As part of the preparations, the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) this week launched the national phase of the African Schools Football Championship.
The qualifying competition is divided into three phases: national, zonal, and continental respectively.
ZIFA has partnered with the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture; Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education; National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH); National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH); Association Of Trust Schools (ATS), as well as the Zimbabwe Independent Colleges Association (ZICA) to ensure the success of the event.
The national phase will take place at Allan Wilson High School in Harare on Friday and Saturday.
Sixteen select teams (eight boys teams and eight girls teams) will participate in the tournament.
Scouts and coaches will select the U15 boys and girls national teams that will represent Zimbabwe at the zonal phase scheduled for December 2023 at a venue yet to be announced.
The African Schools Football Championship aims to enhance young talent development while empowering budding footballers.
It also seeks to support schoolchildren aspiring towards careers such as refereeing or journalism through mentorship programs tailored specifically for them.
The programme will give school teachers an opportunity to train for the CAF D coaching licence while medical personnel and safeguarding officers will also be trained.
Source: NewZimbabwe