Caf president launches game-changer
...African schools' football tournament to touch 41 countries
Caf president Dr Patrice Motsepe recently launched the African Schools Football Programme in Maputo, Mozambique; an event that many have described as being a potential game-changer for the sport.
Speaking at the Costa do Sol Stadium, Motsepe expressed similar sentiments when highlighting why schools' football is so important to Caf's development efforts.
“Schools' football is at the heart of the long-term development and growth of African football,” Motsepe stated.
“One of the best investments we can make to ensure that African football is amongst the best in the world, is to invest in schools' football and football infrastructure for boys and girls at school, amateur and professional level,” he said at the event, which was attended by high-level dignitaries, including Mozambican vice-minister of education Manuel Basso, Caf General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba and football presidents from Mozambique, Angola, Comoros, Malawi, Mauritius and South Africa, as well as the co-founder of the Motsepe Foundation, Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe.
The Caf African Schools Football Programme is a partnership involving Caf, African governments and football associations from 41 participating countries. The programme also involves the provision of education, coaching, football and skills'
development courses.
Capital investment
The Caf African Schools Football Programme received a donation of USD 10 million (roughly N$170 million) from the Motsepe Foundation, which will be used as prize money. The winning schools will use the prize money to provide football infrastructure, and educational and other skills development facilities at these schools.
Football associations from 41 countries will participate in the inaugural event.
According to a press statement issued by Caf, the programme is set to be played between April 2022 and March 2023. It will have three phases, with the first phase due to take place at national level from April to July 2022.
The second phase, also known as the zonal phase, is where winners of national competitions will compete between September and December 2022.
The final stage will be the continental leg, which will be played in March 2023 at a venue still to be announced.
Local impact
According to local reports, Namibia Schools Sport Union (NSSU) national coordinator Solly Duiker said his organisation will be sending a team to participate in the inaugural Cosafa Schools Cup, scheduled for Durban from 22 October to 06 November 2022.
Duiker said the tournament has been assigned to the NSSU by the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service, the Namibia Football Association and the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.
“We have not sat down to discuss this, but we will select a team (not a school) to represent Namibia,” he was quoted as saying.
“Schools football is at the heart of the long-term development and growth of African football.”