ARUSHA: FORMER Malian professional footballer and renowned striker, Frédéric Kanouté is set to arrive in Tanzania next week.
The Malian football legend will visit Arusha as part of a special mission to recruit young, talented soccer players during the upcoming East Africa Chipkizi Cup.
This prestigious youth tournament will take place from December 9 to December 15, 2024, coinciding with Tanzania’s Independence Day celebrations.
Alfred Itaeli, Director of Future Stars Academy (FSA), the organisation behind the East African Youth Soccer Tournament, confirmed that Kanouté will land in Tanzania on December 11 and stay for six days in Arusha.
Kanouté, who already runs his own sports academy in Mali, is looking to identify promising football prospects from Tanzania and other East African countries. His goal is to prepare these young athletes for careers in top European football clubs.
The tournament, which will feature teams from across East Africa, will also see participation from sports teams in Nigeria and Zambia and for the first time, Kafue Celtic FC from Zambia, a team competing in the Zambian Super League will join the Chipkizi Cup 2024 as well as Plateau United team B from Nigeria.
ALSO READ: Simba, Yanga gear for crucial CAF encounters in Algeria
The 15th edition of the East Africa Chipkizi Cup will take place in Arusha and has drawn over 320 teams from various sports disciplines.
“We are excited to see more international teams join this year’s tournament, including the Didier Drogba Academy from Burundi,” said Abel Mtweve, FSA Manager.
The tournament will feature boys and girls’ competitions across multiple age categories, ranging from Under-7 to Under-20. In addition to football, basketball and swimming events will also be held.
The 2024 Chipkizi Cup is expected to bring together over 4,800 participants from more than 200 teams representing Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria and Burundi. With 3,000 international players expected, the tournament promises to further boost tourism in Tanzania.
This year, for the first time, WY Scout, the world’s largest online scouting platform, will stream live coverage of the tournament and broadcast the games globally. WY Scout’s platform, which is used by over 33,000 football agents worldwide, will provide real-time analysis and scouting opportunities, allowing agents from countries such as Spain, the UK, Germany and the US to watch the matches and identify promising talent.
“We are gradually expanding from being an East African tournament into a continental event,” said Itaeli, highlighting the growing international interest in the Chipkizi Cup.
The games will be held at several sports venues across Arusha, including UWC, Agha-Khan, Saint Constantine, Tanganyika Game Trackers (TGT), and Braeburn International School.
