The CAF West Zone A (WAFU-A) qualifying tournament for the maiden African Schools Football Championship came to a successful end on Wednesday, 21 December in Cape Verde.
The three-day tournament climaxed with The Gambia’s Scan Aid winning the girls tournament whiles Guinea’s Complexe Scolaire Ben Sekou Sylla clinch the boys’ tournament.
The two schools will represent the CAF West Zone A at next year’s inaugural African Schools Football Championship in Egypt.
Scan Aid were dominant throughout the tournament winning all four matches in the round robin format of the girls’ tournament.
The girls from Brufut edged out College Fode Fissa 2-1 in their opening fixture before beating Senegal’s Cem Amadou Sampathe in the second match.
The Gambian side continued their dominance in day two of the championship at the Municipal Stadium of Santa Cruz with a straightforward 3-0 victory over Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto of host Cape Verde.
They saw off the challenge of Ecole Congresso de Cassaga of Guinea-Bissau in Wednesday’s final match to win the ultimate price and book a continental ticket unbeaten.
Ecole Congresso de Cassaga and College Fode Fissa finished second and third respectively.
Meanwhile in the boys category Guinea’s Complexe Scolaire Ben Sekou Sylla beat The Gambia’s New Yundum 4-2 on penalties after an entertaining goalless match.
Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto of Cape Verde beat Mauritania’s Ecole Moctar Hamidoune on penalties to claim third place in the boys category.
On the sidelines of the championship there were workshops for young reporters, coaches and referees to give the youngsters another vocational option.
The winners pocketed USD 100,000 while the runner-up and bronze medalists in each category will receive USD 75, 000 and USD 50, 000 respectively.
Prize
Best players: Kaddy Camara (Scan Aid) and Amara Keita (Complexe Scolaire Ben Sekou Sylla)
Best goalkeepers: Graciete Da Silva (Ecole Congresso de Cassaga) and Mauro Delgado (Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto)
Leading scorers: Domingas Batista (Ecole Congresso de Cassaga) and Alagie Jarju (New Yundum)
Fair play: Escola Secundaria Jose Augusto Pinto (girls) and New Yundum (boys)
Source: Confederation of African Football