Coaches and captains preview the start of the CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals in Harare
The CAF African Schools Football Championship officially gets underway on Monday, 06 April, with a number of exciting fixtures set to kick off Africa’s largest schools football competition.
As part of the overall experience of a continental competition, each team was afforded an opportunity to have a press conference in front of members of the media from across the continent.
This is what the coaches and players had to say:
Evaristo Mkwandawire – Zambia Head Coach
“We have a team of exciting talent that is really eager and excited to represent the national team of Zambia. This is the pinnacle of youth football in Africa, and we know how hard it will be, but we also believe in our talents and know that we made it here through talent and hard work”
Emmanuel Mpongo – Zambia Captain
“This is a very exciting opportunity for us as players. It is on the same level as AFCON which we watch on TV, so we want to really give it our all and make people back home proud”
Kalamata Mavinve – DR Congo Head Coach
“The boys are looking forward to the tournament. Our country is celebrating the success of the senior national team, and we also want to walk in their steps in make the nation of DR Congo proud because we know that they are fully behind us”
Thipata Messi – DR Congo Captain
“It is a huge honour for me to represent my country along with my teammates. We know that football is an exciting opportunity for us to make a better future for ourselves and we really want to do well by making use of this moment”
Cyrille Dolce – Morocco Head Coach
We know the great responsibility that rests on our shoulders and how important it is for us to make our country proud. It was not easy getting here because we had to overcome strong teams like Algeria who were here last year. We are ready to give it our best”
Yahya Elouizi - Morocco Captain
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to represent our nation and schools. We are looking forward to getting a great experience”
Zungu Hassan – Uganda Head Coach
This is an exciting tournament that really allows us to measure ourselves against the best teams on the continent. We want to test ourselves and ensure that we are on the same level as the best in Africa”
Mukisa Owen – Uganda Captain
“This is the biggest school’s football competition in Africa and being here means we need to play to the best of our abilities and make our schools and Uganda proud”
Ousmane Dion – Senegal Head Coach
“We finished second to Tanzania last year despite us really putting up a good performance. We are really hoping to go all the way this year as football in Senegal is on an exciting rise and we need to also show it at this level”
Dismas Atenas – Senegal Captain
“For me it is a great honour to be called up to the national team that will represent a big football nation like Senegal. We want to make our nation proud, but we know that it will only come through dedication and teamwork”
Boniface Pawassa – Tanzania Head Coach
“We are the defending champions of this tournament and know that all teams want to compete against us. We are also building for the future. Most of the players in the squad are our U-14 because we have a long-term vision for football in Tanzania”
Dismas Atanas – Tanzania Captain
“We are under no pressure because we want to enjoy the occasion. The team will play to its strengths and follow the instructions of the coach because they have been coaching and helping us prepare for this match”
Jatson Maposa – Zimbabwe Head Coach
“We understand the importance of playing at home and making the nation proud. Our preparations were a bit late as compared to our opponents but be that as it may, we still want to achieve a good result and bring success to our nation as the hosts”
Dwayne Musona – Zimbabwe Captain
“This is an exciting opportunity for all of us because it is our first time playing an international competition. The team is ready and we want to urge our families and friends and everyone to come and support us”
