Tanzania and Uganda came out top as the CAF Africa Schools Football Championship CECAFA qualifiers came to conclusion on Saturday in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Tanzanian Girls team and Uganda’s Boys team dominated right from the group stages without losing a match all the way to winning the respective finals.
Tanzania retained the Girls titles after defeating Kenya 3-0 in the final played at the Kigali Pele Stadium.
Salah Msagala, Eva Maiope and Anna Pascal were on target for the Tanzanian team that was dominant and controlled large spells of the match.
“I am very happy that we came here with a mission to win the title and we have done that,” said a happy Salah Msagala after the final.
In the Boys final hosts Rwanda who needed penalty shoot-outs to edge South Sudan in the semi-final gave Uganda no room before they conceded a late goal.
Kennedy Okwi pounced on a defensive blunder to score the only goal for Uganda after 39 minutes.
“The team has worked so hard winning four matches and drawing one. We shall prepare well so that we represent Uganda and CECAFA well at the continental level,” said Uganda former international and coach, Richard Malinga.
Earlier Uganda and Tanzania finished third in the Girls and Boys categories respectively. Uganda defeated Rwanda 2-0 in the Girls category, while Tanzania picked a 2-0 victory in the Boys category.
The Championship saw winners in each category receive cheques worth US$100,00, runners-up US$75,000 and third placed US$50,000 in prize monies. Each prize money is ring-fenced development purposes in the different schools.
Tanzania’s Debora Salala and Vincent Kizza Mawanda (Uganda) also collected the best player Awards for Girls and Boys’ categories respectively.
Rukia Seleman (Tanzania) and Stuart Mukasa (Uganda) were voted Best Goalkeepers in the Girls and Boys categories respectively.
Kenya’s Abigael Cheruto who netted nine goals picked the Top scorer’s Award for the Girls category, and Kennedy Okwi (Uganda) was the top scorer for the Boys category. Uganda and Burundi were rewarded the Fair Play Award for the Girls and Boys categories respectively.
SOURCE: CAF ONLINE
