Nigeria, Zambia to feature in EA Youth Soccer Tournament

ARUSHA: TEAMS from Nigeria and Zambia are set to participate in the upcoming East African Youth Soccer Tournament, which will feature the 15th instalment of the Chipkizi Cup taking place in Arusha this December.

This year marks the debut of Kafuae Celtic Football Club from Zambia at the Chipkizi Cup.

Competing in the Zambian Super League, Kafuae Celtic is home to Patson Daka, a striker for Leicester City in the Premier League.

Organised by the Future Stars Sports Academy (FSA) in Arusha, the 2024 Chipkizi Cup has attracted over 200 teams across various sports disciplines.

“We will also see the Didier Drogba Academy from Burundi participating in Tanzania next December from the 9th to the 15th,” announced Abel Mtweve, the Manager of Future Stars Academy.

The tournament will feature both boys’ and girls’ events across age categories ranging from Under-7 to Under-20. Plateau United team B from Nigeria has also expressed interest in joining the festivities during the Christmas season.

This year’s tournament is expected to bring together more than 4,800 participants, including players, coaches and officials from East, Central, and Southern Africa.

“The prestigious tournament will showcase various sporting events, including football, basketball, and swimming competitions,” said Alfred Itaeli, Director of Future Stars Academy.

Itaeli emphasised the tournament’s growth, stating, “We are gradually transitioning from being an East African sports event to an African one, as more teams from across the continent join the annual Chipkizi Cup in Tanzania.”

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Games will be staged at several sports venues in the city, including UWC, Aga Khan, Saint Constantine, Tanganyika Game Trackers (TGT) and Braeburn International.

Teams from Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Burundi have confirmed their participation, bringing nearly 5,000 attendees, including about 3,000 international players.

This year also introduces a significant development: WY Scout, the world’s largest online scouting platform, has requested to stream the Chipkizi Cup live, broadcasting the matches globally.

Wyscout is known for providing football videos, data, and statistics for scouting and performance analysis, which means sports agents worldwide will be closely watching for potential talent.

“Wyscout will offer live streaming and analysis, providing a unique opportunity for players to be scouted by agents from countries including Spain, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Macedonia, Kenya, Uganda, and Denmark,” said Mtweve.

Emmanuel Anthony, the Secretary of the Arusha Regional Football Association, has expressed his vision for the tournament, stating that the East African Chipkizi Cup could soon evolve into an “All African Chipkizi Cup” due to its remarkable growth.

“We are witnessing many young players being nurtured through Future Stars, with some progressing to larger international teams,” Anthony noted. He commended the organisers for promoting both local and international sports development while reinforcing traditional values and fostering regional cooperation.