National school football championship: Hostilities launched

As expected, the final phase of the national school football championship, editing 2021 has actually started It is the Minister of Sports, Oswald Homeky who proceeded on Saturday 24 July at the Grand-Popo omnisports stadium at the launch of the said competition which brings together 12 women's teams and 12 men's teams from 12 departments of Benin. This in the presence of several personalities including the Minister of Secondary Education, Technical and Professional Training, of the Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the representative of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), of the President of the Beninese Football Federation, delegations from countries in the sub-region.

After a long absence, the national school championship is back in Benin. So after the departmental phase, the national phase has already taken off. For the Minister of Sports, the first edition of this competition is the fruit of this great and noble ambition carried by Benin through its institutions in charge of the sports and education sector at the level of high schools and colleges and which has benefited from the support of the International Federation of Football Association. “Benin was chosen as a pilot country for the implementation of the school championship program, after the signing of a cooperation agreement between FIFA and the Beninese government to support the development of the practice of grassroots football for both young girls and young boys, the 30 January 2020 in Zurich », said Oswald Homeky.   

He took the opportunity to pay a deserved tribute to the President of the Republic, Patrice Talon and the President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino for their personal involvement in the realization of this project which consecrates the return of football to school while thanking the various actors who worked in the shadows. The objective of this national school championship, which now has a new face, will say the boss of Beninese sports, is to "detect and promote talent at the base"..  This is why he urged the young athletes to give their best while showing fair play. “Treat yourself to great shows”.

The opening meeting was won by the young people of the CEG Lalo training in front of their counterparts from Houègbo (1-0). It is on the same score that the girls of Grand-Popo dominated those of Ikpinlè.  

To note that 24 General education colleges (Amnesty International Benin says no to rape) of Benin take part in this competition which will end on 30 July 2021. This is for the girls of the CEG teams of: Dogbo (Couffo), Dowa (Oueme), Saviour (Hills), Grand-Popo (Mono), Cobly (Atacora), Bassila (Prayer), Kalalé (Borgou), Final (Plateau), Agbangnizoun (Would), The coast (Littoral), Banikoara (Alibori), Ouidah (Atlantic) and in boys: Vedoko (Litoal), Houègbo (Atlantic), Lalo (Couffo), Avrankou (Oueme), Banter (Hills), How (Mono), Cobly (Atacora), Bassila (Prayer), Nikki (Borgou), Poor thing (Plateau), Abomey (Would), Malanville (Alibori).

Damien TOLOMISSI