St. Patrick Academy Triumphs in ‘Champion of Tomorrow’ Tournament

ST Patrick Academy emerged victorious in the ‘Champion of Tomorrow’ tournament, defeating Sombetini Secondary School 4-1 in the finals held on Saturday

ARUSHA: ST Patrick Academy emerged victorious in the ‘Champion of Tomorrow’ tournament, defeating Sombetini Secondary School 4-1 in the finals held yesterday at the UWC Arusha International School.

St. Patrick wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with their star striker Ramadhani Juma finding the net within the first six minutes.

Sombetini responded in the 26th minute through Yusuf Kassim, who capitalized on a brilliant pass from Rashid Omari to equalize.

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St. Patrick Academy regained the lead just before halftime with another goal from Ramadhani Juma, this time from a well-taken corner kick. Juma continued his dominance in the second half, scoring his third goal from a direct foul in the 66th minute.

Ramadhani Abbasi sealed the win for St. Patrick with a fourth goal in the 79th minute.

The organizer, Ashok Mittal, commended both teams for their excellent performance throughout the tournament, which kicked off on August 1, 2024. The two finalists had previously drawn 2-2 in the opening match.

Ashok, along with special guest Mrisho Gambo, the Arusha Member of Parliament, presented the awards. Sombetini Secondary School received seven balls as runners-up, while St. Patrick Academy, the champions, were awarded eight balls, a trophy, and medals.

Mrisho Gambo commended Ashok for his initiative in organizing the tournament and urged Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) to utilize such events to identify and develop talented players for the national teams.

One of the tournament sponsors, Atul Mittal, the Managing Director of Mount Meru Petroleum, congratulated both teams and challenged them to learn from their mistakes.

He addressed the St. Patrick players, urging them to improve their performance by rectifying the errors they made during the match particularly before the 66th minute.

“I congratulate you on the very good game you have played in this final, but can you tell me what mistakes have you made? Especially in the first half from the beginning to the 66th minute?… If you practice and correct these mistakes, you are very good players and you will go far” asked Atul while addressing the St. Patrick players.

Omary from Sombetini Secondary shined in the Champions of Tomorrow Football League, earning a sponsorship to join Future Stars Academy despite his team’s loss. This opportunity, provided by Ashok Mittal, highlights his exceptional talent and potential.

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The tournament featured eight teams from government and private secondary schools with an English curriculum. The participating schools were St. Patrick Academy, Kilimanjaro Boys Academy, Brainy Heroes,  Renea,  Sombetini,  Lemara,  Sinon, and Mateves.