By Momodou Jarju
The Gambia U-15 girls Saturday landed safely in Accra as they brace up to participate in the Pan African Schools Football Championship with matches expected to tee off tomorrow. The Gambian girls who successfully defended their crown as WAFU-A champions last year in Senegal are representing the aforesaid zonal union at the continental tournament.
The U-15 team held its local preparations at the National Technical Training Centre in Old Yundum and camped at the Football Hotel on Friday before their departure for Accra. The delegation, led by the Technical Director of the Gambia Football Federation Sang John Ndong, was hosted to a brief send-off ceremony at the Football Hotel last evening.
The draw for the group stages took place on Monday afternoon in Ghana and The Gambia are pitted in Group B alongside South Africa, Uganda and DR Congo.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) the third edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship features eight Boys and Girls teams that will compete on the pitch, but will also receive guidance away from the field on a range of subjects in what will be a life-changing experience for many.
“The Capacity Building Workshops will include Safeguarding, Young Reporters, Young Referees, a Coaching course, Safety & Security and Medical. There will also be workshops for the players on Integrity, and sessions held by UNICEF and FIFPRO,” CAF stated on Sunday. Matches will be played in six days at the University of Ghana Stadium in Accra.
Girls Qualified Teams: Ghana, Benin, DR Congo, Gambia, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa, Uganda
Boys Qualified Teams: Ghana, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda
About the schools tournament
The CAF African Schools Football Championship was launched by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique.
The programme enjoys a seed funding of USD 10-million, donated by the Motsepe Foundation at inception. This goes towards the prize monies at the zonal & continental level as well as the organization of the tournament.
There is a first prize of USD300,000 for the continental champions in both the Boys and Girls competitions, while the runners-up receive USD 200,000 and third-place USD 150,000.
This prize money is used for legacy projects in schools, including renovations, building libraries, infrastructure development and other community-related developments.
It is the continent’s premier football competition for girls and boys in the Under-15 age-group and the most successful youth sport mobilization movement in Africa.
