MBABANE – An unchanged, lucrative total prize fund of over E3 million awaits Eswatini’s Under-15 teams.
The youngsters are gearing up for the upcoming CAF African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Qualifier. This confirmation comes via a press statement released two days ago by the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) through their Media Manager, Lynda Greeff.
The Eswatini Under-15 champions stand to win an unchanged, mouth-watering package of US$100 000, which is equivalent to E1 738 000 based on yesterday’s exchange rate. This is the amount allocated to the winners of the qualifiers in this year’s edition, slated for early next month.
This means the collective prize package for the champions of both the boys’ and girls’ categories is set at a substantial E3 476 000. The runners-up are guaranteed E1 303 500, while the third-place winners stand to receive E869 000.
The 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Schools Football Championship COSAFA Qualifier will unite the best Under-15 boys’ and girls’ footballers from the Southern African region.
Their sole aim is to qualify their country for the continental finals next year. The regional showpiece will be staged in Stellenbosch, South Africa, from December 5–7.
Each competing team must include a safeguarding officer as part of their delegation. This is an important aspect of the tournament, which is also utilised to educate student-athletes on vital life skills.
SA became the first team from the COSAFA region to claim a continental victory when they lifted the girls’ trophy at the CAF African Schools Football Championship continental finals in Zanzibar in 2024. They had previously finished as runners-up in the boys’ competition in 2023.
Meanwhile, CS Ben Sekou Sylla from Guinea were the inaugural winners of the Boys’ competition at the continental finals staged in Durban, South Africa, in 2023, with Fountain Gate School from Tanzania winning the girls’ competition. Since that first edition, the teams have been composed of nationally-selected players rather than individual schools.
In the pool phase, teams will be awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. If two teams are tied on points at the end of the pool phase, they will be separated by head-to-head results, then goal difference across all group games, the number of goals scored, and finally, the drawing of lots.
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Mjingo High School were crowned champions in the EFA/CAF African Schools Championships female category. (Pic: Ntombikayise Gwebu)