The African School Champions Cup has kicked off in Kinshasa with impressive support recorded at the Stade De Martyrs.
The two-day invitational tournament of six eams which includes host DRC, South Africa, Morocco, Ethiopia, Senegal and Benin Republic kicked on a high note as young Africans of school going age battled it to secure the trophy for their countries.
The tournament, an initiative of FIFA with support from CAF, FECOFA and the UNDP kicked off yesterday and the prop-up from the fans was nothing short of what you would expect from a proper international fixture.
The young DRC fans trooped out enmasse to support not only their teams but also lend their support to the initiative proposed during a visit by Gianni Infantino in February, 2021.
Meanwhile,the young Moroccan girls are staking a solid claim to win the maiden edition of the tournament with outstanding displays in their matches. The Moroccan girls played their first game against the host of the competition; the girls from the DRC and quickly made their presence felt with their calm and intelligence on the ball, and with less than five minutes on the scoreboard, they recorded their first goal, a brilliant team effort. The Moroccans won the game 7-1 and defeated the impressive South Africans in their second game by a lone goal.
The intelligence of the young Moroccan side caught the attention of the spectators as they played with the confidence and charisma of established professionals. A conversation with the girls after the demolition of the DRC confirmed that they have only one objective: to win the competition in its entirety. The girls are also confident that their male counterparts will win their category.
Commenting on the tournament earlier, FIFA’s General Secretary Fatma Samoura who was present at the tournament, said : “The intention was also to see all 54 African national associations come together in one country to allow children to use sport as a way to embrace the values that football generally conveys. They include fighting against discrimination, positive masculinity, but also fighting against any form of social bias. At the heart of it, the idea is for these children to eventually become role models for their community, but also for their country, as well as the true development of players through this training.”