Kitende and St. Noa gear up for CAF Schools Football Championship in Ghana

Uganda’s representatives at this year’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) Schools Football Championship, St. Mary’s Boarding School Kitende, have begun preparations for the tournament scheduled for April 21-26 in Ghana.

The Wakiso-based team secured their spot in the continental championship after finishing second to Tanzania on goal difference in the CECAFA regional qualifiers held at St. Mary’s Stadium Kitende in December last year.

Earlier this week, CAF confirmed the University of Ghana’s Legon Sports Stadium in Accra as the host venue for the tournament.

Kitende’s assistant coach, Joakim Mukungu, revealed that the team has started intensive preparations and is determined to improve on their performance from last year.

“We have begun serious preparations and believe we will be ready by the time of the championship to compete for victory,” Mukungu said.

In the 2023 edition held in Tanzania, Kitende failed to progress beyond the group stages, while Uganda’s girls’ representatives, Kawempe Muslim Secondary School, finished third. Mukungu expressed optimism about this year’s campaign, stating, “We learned from last year’s experience and are now focused on making the country and our school proud. We aim to win the tournament, and though the competition will be tough, we are ready to give our best.”

St. Noa Girls’ School, which won the girls’ category in the CECAFA qualifiers, will also represent Uganda in Ghana. They edged out Tanzania on goal difference after both teams finished with seven points in a round-robin format. Kitende secured the second slot as Tanzania, the CECAFA boys’ champions, are the defending continental champions and automatically qualify.

This year marks the third edition of the CAF Schools Football Championship, which was launched by CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique. The tournament offers significant prize money, with the winners receiving USD 300,000, runners-up USD 200,000, and third-place finishers USD 150,000. In partnership with the Motsepe Foundation, which donated USD 10 million, CAF has used the prize money for legacy projects in schools, including infrastructure development, library construction, and community initiatives.

The competition will feature teams from six CAF regions, including hosts Ghana (boys and girls), St. Noa (Uganda girls), Kitende (Uganda boys), Tanzania (CECAFA boys), South Africa (girls’ defending champions), Malawi (COSAFA runners-up), Morocco (UNAF girls), Algeria (UNAF boys), DR Congo (UNIFFAC boys and girls), Gambia (WAFU A girls), Senegal (WAFU A boys), Benin (WAFU B girls), and Ivory Coast (WAFU B boys).

Kitende and St. Noa will aim to make Uganda proud as they compete against some of the best school teams on the continent.