The CAF African Schools Football Championship | COSAFA Qualifier for the 2024/25 season kicked off in Walvis Way today and ends on Sunday (13 October).
Eight boys and girls U15 teams from Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, hosts Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe will battle for a single place at the continental finals.
The eight sides have been split into two pools, each containing four teams, with the boys’ and girls’ competition mirrored and fixtures running concurrently at the Jan Wilken Stadium.
COSAFA spokesperson Lynda Greeff explained that the top two teams in each pool advance to the semifinals, and only the victor who lifts the trophy earns a place at the continental showpiece event.
“There is a change to the girls competition this year as it will be 11-a-side (as opposed to 8-a-side previously) and played on a full-size pitch. In previous tournaments they played half-size,” she said.
The two winners in the boys’ and girls’ categories will represent the COSAFA zone in the CAF African Schools Football Championship finals next year.
Previously, CAF President Patrice Motsepe said school football is at the heart of the long-term development and growth of African football.
“One of the best investments that we can make to ensure that African football is amongst the best in the world is to invest in schools’ football and football infrastructure for boys and girls at school, amateur and professional levels,” said Motsepe.
The Motsepe Foundation has played a vital role in investing in the annual event.
The draw for both the boys’ and girls’ divisions placed the defending champions, South Africa, in Group B, where they will play Zimbabwe, Angola, and Eswatini.
Namibia, the tournament hosts, is in a challenging Group A with Malawi, Zambia, and Lesotho.
The COSAFA qualifiers will kick off at 09:00 on Friday, with the last match of the day scheduled for 15:30.
The games will continue on Saturday at 09:00, with the semifinal matches set for 15:00 and 16:00.
The girls’ final on Sunday will be held at 09:00, while the boys’ final is scheduled for 10:00. – Observer Sport
