Teams have started arriving in Nairobi, Kenya ahead of the CECAFA Zonal CAF African Schools Football Championship qualifiers.

The two teams from boys and girls from Uganda and Burundi arrived on Friday.

Yussuf Mossi, the Competitions Director of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (CECAFA) says the Rwanda, Somali and Tanzanian teams are expected to arrive on Sunday. ” The teams will train on Sunday and action kicks-off on Monday, ” added Mossi.

The schools competition to attract U-15s for both boys and girls will take place December 10-13th, 2023 at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mossi explained that the competition will be played on a League basis with the top two teams in the boys and girls categories facing off in the finals. ” We decided that the six teams in the boys category and the five for the girls play the League format so that they can play as many matches, ” explained Mossi.

The six nations that will participate in the Zonal qualifiers include; Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Somalia. The winners in each category will qualify to represent the Zone at the CAF African Schools Championship expected to take place in April next year.

Last year Tanzania’s Fountain Gate Dodoma Secondary School and Royal Giant High School (Uganda) emerged winners in the girls and boys categories respectively in the Zonal qualifiers held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Fountain Gate Dodoma Secondary School went on to win the Girls category at the CAF African Schools Championship held in Durban, South Africa in April this year.

The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has confirmed that they will field a team in the CECAFA Zonal CAF African Schools Football Championship qualifiers in Nairobi, Kenya.

Yusuf Mossi, the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Competitions Director confirmed that the Somali FA communicated that they will field a boys team. ” We are happy that Somalia will also send a team to the schools tournament, ” added Mossi.

The competition which will be played for U-15s will attract both boys and girls will take place December 10-13 at the Kasarani Annex Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mossi disclosed that although Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan had earlier indicated they would send team, they will not be able to take part.

The boys category will have six teams ; Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Somalia, while the girls category will have Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. ” We are confident we shall have a more competitive Championship since teams have had enough teams to prepare, ” added Mossi.

He said eleven boys teams and seven for girls will compete in the Championship with the champion in each category to represent the Zone at the Africa Schools Championship expected to take place in April next year.

_{The President of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), Wallace Karia has praised the administration of CAF for coming up with a schools Football competition.}

_{Karia told Cecafaonline during an interview after the climax of the Zonal CAF African  Schools Football Championship in Dar es Salaam that having a platform for the best schools in Africa to play is a very clever move.}

_{“I thank the President Dr Patrice Motsepe and the administration of CAF for coming up with this initiative to have African Schools Football have a platform to compete. This gives the Schools chance to showcase their talents,” added Karia.}

_{He also praised the Motsepe Foundation that injected US$10 million to promote the CAF Schools Championship. “We thank the Motsepe Foundation for the big support towards the CAF Schools Football,” he added.}

_{Karia urged the Members Association who belong to the CECAFA family to continue promoting and developing Schools Football because they are trhe stars of tomorrow.}

_{The Zonal CECAFa qualifier for the CAF Schools Football Championship which concluded on February 19th was won by Royal Giants High (Uganda) for the boys category and Fountain Gate Dodoma Secondary School (Tanzania) for the girls category.}

_{Fifteen teams from Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan participated in the Zonal tournament.}

_{Royal Giant High School and Fountain Gate Dodoma Secondary School are the champions of the boys and girls category at the CAF African Schools Football Championship for the CECAFA Zone that climaxed on Sunday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.}

_{The Uganda Boys team Royal Giant stopped Geda Roble Secondary School (Ethiopia) in penalties 4-2 after the two teams had tied goalless in normal time at the Azam Stadium, Chamazi.}

_{Thomas Ogema, a Royal Giant player praised CAF for starting this tournament which will give students chance to showcase their talent. “We are glad we won the title, but we thank CAF for creating this tournament,” added Ogema.}

_{In the girls category Tanzania’s Fountain Gate Dodoma Secondary School defeated Awaro SS from Ethiopia 3-0 with Mary Aron Siyame, Winifrida Hubert Gerald and Rede Julius Boniphace scoring the goals.}

_{“We deserved to win the title because we prepared well and had good team work,” said a happy Fountain Gate player Siyame who netted one of the goals in the final.}

_{The top three teams in each category received medals and cash prices courtesy of the Motsepe Foundation which will go towards development in their respective schools. The winners in each category got a cash prize of US$100,000, the runners up US$75,000 and the third placed teams US$50,000.}

_{Her Excellency Ambassador Dr. Pindi Chana, the Tanzaian Minister of Culture, Arts and Sports was the guest of honor. The CECAFA President Wallace Karia, his Vice Isayas Jira Bosho and the CAF Director of Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna also presented some of the Awards.}