Tanzania are the winners of the Boys category of the 2024 CAF Schools Football Championship.

The Tanzania team silenced Guinea 1-0 in the final played at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Friday.

Patrice Motsepe, the CAF President and the Secretary General Véron Mosengo-Omba, CAF Third Vice President Sulieman Waberi and CECAFA President Wallace Karia also graced the finals.

After seeing off Benin 2-0 at the semi final stage, the Tanzanian team defeated yet another team from Western Africa where it mattered most. Abel Samson netted the lone goal in a tense final which kept the home fans on their toes.

John Mashaka, the Tanzania coach said he is very happy that they finish the Championship unbeaten. ” It is a good feeling to win the trophy here at home and am sure this win will motivate these young players, ” added the happy coach.

The South African team emerged champions in the girl’s category after beating Morocco 5-4 in penalty shootouts after the game had ended 1-1.

In the boys’ bronze medal match which was decided by penalties, Senegal stopped Benin, while Uganda (represented by Kawempe Muslim SS) beat Tanzania 1-0 to finish third in the girl’s category

The winners of both the Boys’ and Girls’ competition each received cheques of USD 300 000 prize money and gold medals, while the runners-up each received cheques of USD 200 000 and silver medals. The third placed teams received bronze medals and cheques of USD 150 000 each, courtesy of CAF’s partnership with the Motsepe Foundation to be utilised for development projects within schools.

CECAFA representatives Uganda and Tanzania have qualified for the semi final stage in the girls category at the on-going CAF Schools Football Championship in Zanzibar.

After the group stages that climaxed on Wednesday Uganda beat Togo and The Gambia to top Group B.

The 2-0 wins registered against each of the two teams and the goalless draw against South Africa on Tuesday sent them top of the log with 7 points, while South African finished second with 5 points.

Uganda who are represented by Kawempe Muslim SS will now face Morocco at the semi final stage, while Tanzania who picked wins against Morocco and Congo Republic will take on South Africa.

In other matches played on Day 2 of the Championship, Tanzania defeated Congo Republic 1-0, while South Africa stopped The Gambia 1-0 as well before drawing goalless against Togo.

Ayub Kiyingi Khalifa, coach of the Ugandan team said that he is happy the team has picked two wins and a draw. ” We need to be more clinical in-front of goal in the knock out stage, ” added the coach.

The Girls champion will recieve a cash prize of USD 300 000 prize money, runners-up each receiving USD 200 000, and the third placed team USD 150 000, courtesy of CAF’s partnership with the Motsepe Foundation.

Girls Table standing

Group A

                   P   W   D   L  GF GA GD   Pts

Tanzania    2     2   0   0    2    0    2      6

Morocco     2     1   0   1    2    1    1      3    

Congo         2     0   0   2    1    3   – 2     0

Group B

                   P   W   D   L  GF GA GD   Pts

Uganda      3     2    0   0   5    1    4      7

S. Africa     3     1   2    0   2    1    1      5   

Togo          3     0   2    0   0    2    -2     2   

Gambia      3     0   1    2   0    3   -3     1   

Tanzania’s girls team have kick started the CAF African Schools Football Championship 2024 with a 1-0 against Morocco.

A shot by Asha Omary Ramadhani was deflected by Morocco’s Nossaiba El Hilali to give Tanzania the lead after 11 minutes in a Group A match played at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar. The Tanzanian team dominated the match, but failed to find more goals.

Uganda, the other CECAFA representatives also picked a 1-1 draw in a Group B match against South Africa, while the match between Togo and The Gambia ended goalless.

In the boys category Tanzania settled for a goalless draw against Senegal in a Group A match, while Guinea stopped Benin 2-1, and South Africa brushed aside Libya 3-0.

Action continues on Wednesday with Tanzania facing Uganda in the Boys category, while Uganda will also battle Senegal the same day. The Tanzania girls team that now leads  Group A will face Congo, while Uganda will have two matches against Togo and The Gambia to decide if they make it to the knock out stage.

The best two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals stage.

The winners of both the Boys’ and Girls’ competition will each receive USD 300 000 prize money, runners-up each receiving USD 200 000, while the bronze medalists will each take home USD 150 000, courtesy of CAF’s partnership with the Motsepe Foundation to be utilised for development projects within schools

Day 1 collected results

Boys

Benin 1 Guinea 2

South Africa 3 Libya 0

Tanzania 0 Senegal 0

Girls

Togo 0 The Gambia 0

South Africa 1 Uganda 1

Tanzania 1 Morocco 0

Girls Groups

Group A: Tanzania, Morocco, Congo Republic

Group B: South Africa, Togo, The Gambia, Uganda

Boys Groups

Group A: Tanzania, Senegal, Uganda,

Group B: South Africa, Benin, Guinea, Libya

Ugandan teams have qualified to represent the Zone after winning the boys and girls categories at the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya today.

In the first final Uganda saw off Kenya 2-1 in the girls category played first at the Kasarani Stadium. Later the Ugandan boys team also lifted the title after beating Tanzania 4-2 on penalties after the match had ties 1-1 in normal time.

Lindey Weey Atieno gave Kenya the lead, but Shadia Nabirye and Shaluwah Butini later scored to ensure Uganda takes the trophy home for the first time after coming third last season.

In the boys category Uganda took the lead early in the second half with a well taken free-kick by Ashraf Kyakuwa. But Abel Simon made it 1-1 for Tanzania with few minutes to full time. The Ugandan team converted all their 4 penalty kicks, while Tanzania missed two.

The winners in each category bagged US$100,000, while the first runners-up US$750,000 and the second runners’ up in each category US$50,000. The Zonal qualifiers for CECAFA attracted six teams in the boys category and five in the girls category. The Championship is sponsored by the Motsepe Foundation.

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, Ababu Namwamba was the chief guest. The other guests who graced the finals include; Kenya. Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President, Nick Mwendwa, South Sudan Football Association (SSFA), Augustino Maduot, CAF’s manager for African Schools Programme, Yvonne Namai, Justus Mugisha, the First Vice President of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), and FKF Vice President Doris Petra also attended the Awards ceremony.