Zimbabwe to host CAF African Schools Championship

The Confederation African Football (CAF) African Schools Championship is set to take to the stage on the 16^th and 17^th August, 2024 in the "city of Kings and Queens", Bulawayo province at Petra College in Zimbabwe

The tournament is set to be played by under 15 kids who were born as from 1^st January, 2010 and provides a unique platform for young football talent across the nation to showcase their skills, fostering not only sporting excellence but also the spirit of unity and camaraderie among participants.

A total of sixteen teams will face each other in a ground dwelling tournament that will have teams of both genders that the School association is expected to present. These teams will be from a national select team and the winners of the 2024 national championships.

The Schools Associations are; National Association of Secondary School Heads (NAPH), National Association of Primary School Heads (NASH), Association of Trust Schools (ATS), Zimbabwe Independent Colleges Association (ZICA).

These championships will be conducted in three phases as it has been in the previous editions; National phase (hosted by member associations), Zonal phase (hosted by CAF`s Zonal Unions) and also the continental phase that is hosted by CAF partnership with the selected zonal union and member association.

“Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is committed to the development of football across Zimbabwe, and the CAF African Schools Championships is a vital part of this mission. We look forward to an exciting and competitive event in Bulawayo, celebrating the talents and potential of young Zimbabwean footballers, said ZIFA competitions manager Simbarashe Gochera.

In conjunction with the championship, several development programmes will be held to enhance the skills and knowledge of young participants. In the young referees` course a total of 40 participants aged between 15 and 20 years will undergo the Referees Class 4 licence course.

This initiative aims to equip the next generation of referees with the necessary skills and knowledge to officiate at various levels of the game.

Facilitated by the Red Cross, this course will also provide training for 20 students and 20 teachers, focusing on essential medical skills that are critical during sports events.

All technical and team officials involved in the championship will receive training in safeguarding, ensuring that the highest standards of safety and welfare are maintained throughout the event.

Additionally, the championship will serve as a selection platform for the national U15 teams for boys and girls. The selected teams will go on to represent Zimbabwe in the COSAFA Zonal Phase, scheduled to be held in Namibia from the 5th to the 8th of September 2024.