ARUSHA: FIFTEEN young football talents from the ongoing East Africa Youth Soccer Tournament in Arusha will be selected to join an international soccer team, Chipkizi First 15, in Spain in 2025.
The opportunity is made possible through a partnership between the Future Stars Academy of Arusha, organizers of the Chipkizi Cup 2024 and the International Sports Management Company, New Hera Interconnection.
The selected players will be identified based on their performance in the tournament, including the best scorer, the most disciplined players and those who show exceptional talent on the field. “All top-performing players aged 17 and under, including the best scorer, most disciplined players and those who stand out, will earn the chance to be selected and play in Europe in 2025,” said Alfred Itaeli, Director of Future Stars Academy.
More than 320 youth soccer teams from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Zanzibar and the host country Tanzania are participating in this year’s Chipkizi Cup tournament.
In addition to the selection process, New Hera Interconnection, a prominent sports management company, will also scout for the 15 best talents during the event.
New Hera Interconnection is dedicated to advancing African sports by providing a wide range of services and solutions for athletes, soccer clubs, academies, federations, and agents aiming to reach the highest standards of development.
Renowned Malian professional footballer, Frederic Kanouté will also visit Arusha to further scout young players for his own academy. Kanouté, who has established his own academy in Mali, is looking for new football talent from Tanzania and East Africa to train and prepare for careers in top European clubs.
The Chipkizi Cup is the premier youth football event in the region and features players in age categories ranging from Under-7 to Under-20.
The Chairperson of the Arusha Regional Football Association (ARFA), Zakayo Mjema who officially flagged off the tournament highlighted its impact over the past 15 years.
“The Chipkizi Cup has produced more than 22 young players who are now part of national youth teams in the CECAFA region and additionally, many talents discovered here have gone on to play in clubs abroad, especially in Europe,” said Mjema.
“In addition to football, the tournament includes basketball and swimming competitions, with events taking place at various sports venues across the city, including UWC, Agha Khan, Saint Constantine, Tanganyika Game Trackers (TGT) grounds and Braeburn International.
