After a successful series in the UNAF and COSAFA Zonal phases, WAFU Zone B has been handed the baton to continue the race as young talented children from West Africa assemble in the economic capital of Cote d’Ivoire, Abidjan, from Friday November 11 to Sunday November 13, 2022 for the WAFU Zone B CAF African Schools Championship Zonal.
All games will be streamed LIVE on CAF TV for global audience and will be broadcast by RTI for West African countries.
Six Schools (boys and girls) from six countries will be participating in the WAFU Zone B which will be played at the Robert Champroux Stadium- a multi-use stadium in Marcory- which serves as a home ground for big clubs in the city such as; Jeunesse Club d’Abidjan, Stade d’Abidjan and Stella Club d’Adjamé.
Joyce Boatey-Agyei, the head coach for the female side Maakro M/A JHS of Ghana says it’s a delight to lead her team to the tournament.
“Qualifying for the CAF WAFU Zone B African schools championship wasn’t an easy task but we managed to secure a ticket and it’s a great pleasure for these young players to participate in this maiden edition and as a team, our core aim is to go for the ultimate and proceed to the next stage of the competition”
“I will laud CAF for this initiative to revive grassroots football on the continent. There’s a huge recognition and motivation for grassroots coaches and players in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Most coach educators will give their all and even improve the general performance of these players and improve football on the continent” she added.
Ghana will be represented by the Boys and Girls from Offinso College of Education JHS and Maakro M/A JHS in the maiden edition of the Male and Female Competition respectively. The two schools emerged as the winners of the U-16 competition which was staged from July 19 to 23, 2022 in Kumasi.
The other five countries making the zonal representation for the 2022/2023 season includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Togo.
Benin will be represented by CEG Sainte Rita and CEG Colby, Ecole Chanvigny A and Ecole Chanvigny B will represent Burkina Faso, College La Fontaine Bleue De Saioua and Cours Secondaire Venus Saioua will also represent Cote d’Ivoire as Complexe Scolaire Prive Halissa and CEG France Amitié Niger represent Niger whilst ECG Attiegou and Lycee De Kparafao represent Togo.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire are in Group A, along with Benin and Togo whilst Group B consists of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The CAF African schools football championship is part of the new leadership under Dr. Patrice Motsepe’s plan of developing football from a Pan-African point of view from the grassroots, with the goal of fostering a new generation of African youths.
In the COSAFA qualifiers held in Malawi, it was a South African double as Clapham High School won the boys’ competition while Edendale Technical High School won the girls competition. The boys’ and girls’ teams from Ecole Hedi Ayadi in Tunisia and Ecole Omar Ibn Khatab emerged winners of the UNAF zonal round in Egypt.
Source: Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF)