Ugandan schools St. Mary’s Kitende and St. Noa Girls Secondary School are set to represent the country at the third edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, which officially kicks off on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the University of Ghana in Accra.
The prestigious youth tournament, now in its third year, will run until Saturday, April 26, and features top school teams from across the African continent, all vying for glory and a share of the substantial prize pool.
The winning teams in both the boys’ and girls’ categories will walk away with USD 300,000, while the runners-up and third-placed finishers will receive USD 200,000 and USD 150,000 respectively.
Both Ugandan representatives begin their campaigns on Wednesday.
In the girls’ category, CECAFA champions St. Noa Girls open the tournament with the very first match against South Africa at 1:00 PM (Ugandan time).
They will then face other Group B opponents The Gambia on Thursday at 1 PM before concluding their group stage with a clash against DR Congo later the same day at 5 PM.
Group A in the girls’ category features hosts Ghana, Morocco, Benin, and Malawi, in what is widely expected to be a tightly contested pool.
In the boys’ competition, national giants St. Mary’s Kitende, who are making their second appearance at the continental event, will kick off their campaign against the host nation Ghana on Wednesday at 2:30 PM.
Led by experienced coach Hassan Zzungu, Kitende will be looking to improve on last year’s performance, where they failed to progress past the group stage after a draw with Senegal and a loss to Tanzania.
Kitende’s Group A also includes South Africa and Algeria, who face off simultaneously at 2:30 PM.
The Ugandan side will return to action on Thursday with matches against Algeria at 2 PM and South Africa at 6 PM.
Meanwhile, Group B in the boys’ bracket features defending champions Tanzania, along with Senegal, DR Congo, and Ivory Coast.
The tournament’s official draw was held earlier this week on Monday at the University of Ghana and was presided over by Ghanaian football legend Asamoah Gyan and celebrated Ivorian coach Clementine Touré.
The event marks another significant step in CAF’s commitment to grassroots football development under the stewardship of President Dr. Patrice Motsepe.
Uganda’s continued presence at the finals since the competition’s inception in 2023 underscores the country’s strong investment in school football.
Last year, Kawempe Muslim School delivered Uganda’s best performance yet by claiming bronze in the girls’ category.
As action kicks off in Accra, the Ugandan sides will be aiming to finish among the top two in their respective groups to secure spots in the knockout stages, which are scheduled for Friday, April 25, with the finals taking place the following day.
