Girls
Kenya’s girls began their Group B campaign with a 0-0 draw against Tanzania. They have two matches on Friday, taking on Sudan and Somalia, as they seek to secure a place in the last four.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the eventual winners earning qualification to represent the CECAFA region at the CAF African Schools Football Championship continental stage.
The qualifiers, which began on Thursday, feature U15 boys’ and girls’ teams from across the CECAFA region and runs until Saturday, 5 September.
The boys are playing at Kigali Pele Stadium, while the girls’ matches are being held at the FERWAFA Complex, with the finals set for Kigali Pele Stadium.
Kenya’s boys are in Group A alongside Rwanda, Tanzania and Sudan, while the girls are in Group B with Tanzania, Sudan and Somalia.
Group B in the boys’ competition features defending champions Uganda, Somalia, South Sudan and Burundi, while Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and Uganda make up Group A in the girls’ competition.
The tournament is part of CAF President Patrice Motsepe’s initiative to promote youth development and provide young players with a platform to nurture their talent through competitive football.
The financial incentive is also significant, with the winners in each category set to receive US$100,000 (about Ksh12.9 million), the runners-up US$75,000 (about Ksh9.7 million) and third-placed teams US$50,000 (about Ksh6.5 million), based on an exchange rate of approximately Ksh129 to the dollar.
The prize money, supported by the Motsepe Foundation, is earmarked for school development projects, including classrooms, sports facilities and clean water systems.
Kenya will now look to make the most of Friday’s fixtures and keep both teams’ semi-final hopes alive.
