Airtel Rising Stars champions, Upper Hill, Olympic hunt for continental titles in Nigeria

Fredrick Otieno (centre) and Stephen Baraza of Upper Hill High School train ahead of the African champioship in Lagos Nigeria. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

By OSCAR PILIPILI

Airtel Rising Stars National Secondary Schools champions Upper Hill High School launch their hunt for continental honours today when they take on Madagascar in the championships that kicked off yesterday in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Kenya champions have been drawn alongside Uganda, Madagascar and Congo in the tough pool C.

 The week-long tournament has brought together boys teams from 16 countries and 12 girls’ teams.

The top two teams in each pool will qualify for quarter-finals scheduled for Friday. The semis and finals will be held on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

At out press time yesterday, the other Kenyan representatives at the tournament, Olympic Girls High School, were playing hosts Nigeria.

Second edition

Olympic have been drawn in Pool A alongside Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon in the continental tournament in this second edition. The week-long continental footbll showdown, Africa’s biggest Under-17 grassroots tournament, at the Agege Township Stadium, is being graced by several sports personalities, including ex-Arsenal star Robert Pires.

The Airtel Rising Stars U-17 football tournament is a unique pan-African initiative of Airtel Africa designed to create a pool of talents to feed the national football teams of African countries. The best players from the tournament will participate in football clinics under the supervision of the best coaches of the Arsenal FC and Manchester United football schools.

The clinics will be held in April next year  in Lagos, Nigeria and Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo).

The inaugural tournament was held in Kenya last year where Niger won the boys title, while Ghana were crowned girls champions. —

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