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The final of the CAF African Schools Football Championship would be held from April 5-8 at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Umlazi of Durban in South Africa.
ZONE | COUNCIL OF SOUTHERN AFRICA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATIONS (COSAFA)
CAF AFRICAN SCHOOLS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
CLAPHAM HIGH SCHOOL
Pretoria, South Africa
Clapham High has emerged as one of the leading sports schools in South Africa and produced a plethora of top footballing talent in recent years. Founded in 1948, it is situated in Pretoria and has the capacity for 1,050 children, priding itself on academic and sports excellence.
Former pupils include current Bafana Bafana players Percy Tau and Cassius Mailula, former national team captain Bongani Khumalo, and the likes of Sphelele Mkhulise, Keletso Makgalwa, Siphesihle Mkhize and Siyanda Msani, who have all played international football at some level in recent years.
It is also the current school of new sensation Siyabonga Mabena, who won the Golden Boot and Player of the Tournament at the TotalEnergies U17 AFCON Algeria 2023 | COSAFA Qualifier in Malawi late last year. He is currently in Grade 11.
Clapham beat Malawian side Salima Secondary School in the final of the zonal qualifiers for the CAF African Schools Football Championship, having claimed three wins and a draw in their four matches. The team was coached by former Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana winger Joel ‘Fire’ Masilela, but the head coach in Durban will be Simon Blangwe, who holds a CAF coaching qualification.
“The zonal finals was an amazing experience for all us, players and the technical staff,” said Johannes Petje, who is Deputy Principal: Extra Curricular at the school. “More than the football, it was a learning experience through the amazing workshops that were provided. We learned a lot from our colleagues in our neighbouring countries.
“On a field of play, it was not easy, but our team showed character and displayed some fantastic football throughout.” The team is sweating on a few injuries heading into the continental finals in Durban, but Petje says they will be ready.
“Our preparations have been going well despite few injuries that we experienced. The players and the technical team have been hard at work ensuring they are well prepared,” he said. “The team understands fully that they are now the hosts, and all eyes will be on us.”
Petje says whatever happens, they have taken a lot away from competing in the CAF African Schools Football Championship. “It is a learning experience that no-one can take away from you at any point. It has brought so much growth to our players and the rest of the technical team. We have enjoyed the journey and it has been very fulfilling.”
EDENDALE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
Edendale Technical High School has become synonymous with sporting excellence over the last few years as it pulls pupils from the surrounding area in KwaZulu-Natal.
They claimed the girls competition at the COSAFA qualifiers for the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Lilongwe, Malawi last year, taking a full haul of 12 points from their four games.
It was not an unexpected triumph, the school had won the best schools team at the KwaZulu-Natal Sports Awards just a month earlier for their exploits on the field of play.
“We are very excited about this feat achieved by Edendale. This is a great boost to our school sport project relaunched in early September,” KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Amanda Bani-Mapena said.
“We hope this win will inspire the next generation of women footballers. In the long run and through this achievement we can safely envision the brighter future of Banyana Banyana as the girls mature as football players.”
The school was initially started as a boys only institution in 1956, but became co-ed in 1996 and now has over 1,000 pupils who attend. Fittingly, the school’s motto is
Khuthala Uthuthuke, which means ‘stay active’, and they place a lot of emphasis on sports, and in particular soccer.
The school also represented South Africa at the Pan-African Schools Football Championship held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year, a pilot project for the current 2022/23 season of the continental event.
They finished as runners-up, losing to Morocco in the final, but a number of their girls went on to represent the South African Under-17 side. They earned that place after winning the National Schools Sports Championships in the Free State.
ANSE BOILEAU SECONDARY SCHOOL
Anse Boileau, Seychelles
Anse Boileau sealed their place at the continental finals after they finished runners-up in theCOSAFA qualifiers for the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Lilongwe, Malawi last year. The Southern African region has four qualifiers for the finals – two for the South African Football Association as the hosts, and a further two from the regional qualifiers.
As Anse Boileau finished runners-up behind South African side Edendale Technical High School, they earn their spot in the big stage. The school is one of the leading sports institutions in Seychelles and have particularly excelled in soccer.
They won the Seychelles Schools Premier League in 2022 as they remained undefeated through the season, playing in the colours of English women’s side West Ham United.
They proved competition in the COSAFA qualifiers, only losing one of their four matches, though they were awarded the points from their game against Malawian hosts Malindi Secondary, who had inadvertently fielded two ineligible players.
They lost to eventual champions Edendale Technical, but beat Botswana’s Mothamo JSS 1-0 and claimed a vital draw with GS Ningha from the Comoros as they finished second on the table. They also took home the Fair Play prize from the finals.
SALIMA SECONDARY SCHOOL
Salima, Malawi
Salima Secondary School earn their place in the boys’ competition having finished runners-up to South Africa’s Clapham High School in theCOSAFA qualifiers for the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Lilongwe, Malawi last year.
Clapham defeated the home side 1-0 in the decider but qualify automatically as they are from the home association at the CAF African Schools Football Championship Final to be staged in Durban.
The runner-up from the final therefore takes the spot handed to the COSAFA region and it is Salima Secondary who will fly the flag for Malawi and the region. “We are proud to be given a chance to compete in the inaugural African schools competition as runners-up,” Salima Secondary coach Foster Chipeta said.
“The boys (are) excited with the news and we will now assemble for preparations. Of course, it has come as a surprise, but we will make do with the time we have to prepare well.”
Football Association of Malawi President Walter Nyamilandu was equally happy: “We are delighted with Salima Secondary School’s qualification to the finals of this inaugural competition.”
Salima Secondary took four points from their two pool games in the COSAFA qualifier before thumping IQRA School from Comoros 4-0 in the semifinals. That set up the final meeting with Clapham High that was lost to a lone goal.
There was some consolation for the side as striker Ishumael Bwanali finished with the Golden Boot in the competition. Remarkably, he scored all four goals against IQRA School.
