Maqonda Ndlovu
Namibia Schools Sport Union (NSSU) coordinator Roger Kambatuku says Namibia is interested in participating in the second edition of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) African Schools Football Championship for the 2023/24 season.
This follows an announcement by Caf on Friday that the registration period for the 2023/24 edition is open immediately.
Speaking to New Era Sport, Kambatuku says Namibia had initially applied to partake in the first edition, but he was not sure what had happened between his predecessor, Solly Duiker, and the then Namibia Football Association secretary general, Franco Cosmos. “I remember the last time we expressed willingness to participate, and I’m not sure what happened between Cosmos and Solly. So yes, we will enter through the NFA,” he said, referring to this year’s tournament.
Kambatuku said he had already contacted NFA secretary general Jochen Traut to instruct him to register Namibia’s interest in the tournament.
The senior sport officer at the Ministry of Sport, Youth and National Service said he will go all out to make sure Namibia is represented at the tournament.
“This is an opportunity for schools to benefit and learn at an early age. We will have a competition for these Under 15s (U/15), with schools competing at the constituency level, moving on to regional and then national levels, with the winner going on to represent the country,” Kambatuku explained.
As soon as the paperwork is submitted and Namibia is confirmed as one of the participants, the NSSU will sit with stakeholders, which include the NFA, Caf and sponsors, to chart the way forward.
Caf says the kick-off of the new season has created excitement in the 54 member associations as schools prepare their U/15 Girls and Boys teams to compete for the ultimate prize of being crowned Continental Champions.
While Football is at the heart of the Caf African Schools Football Championship, the programme has a number of impactful elements, including the ‘Young Referee Programme’ and the ‘Young Reporter Programme’, amongst others.
These elements make the Caf African Schools Football Championship a legacy movement, aimed at developing future African leaders on and off the field.
The registration period will be followed by the national qualifiers in August.
This will be followed by zonal qualifiers between October and December 2023.
The continental finals will be played in April 2024. The venue will be announced in due course. Khomas Schools Sport Region chairperson Bertus Bock welcomed the news of Namibia’s interest in registering for this tournament, saying they are ready to participate. “All our leagues at the primary and secondary levels are up and running. We have been dreaming about this opportunity since last year. Our children will have the opportunity to be exposed to international football at a very early age. This will help them learn,” Bock said.
Last year, CS Ben Sekou Sylla of Guinea won the boys under 15 section, while the U15 girls section was won by Fountain Gate School of Tanzania.
The inaugural season saw more than 500 000 learners from more than 20 000 schools in 41 countries participate.