Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The excitement surrounding the CAF African Schools Football Championship Zonal Qualifiers in The Gambia intensified as the WAFU-A qualifiers draw produced a series of exciting fixtures.

With a place at next year’s continental finals on the line, the draw officially mapped out WAFU-A’s qualifier journey in both the boys and girls U-15 divisions. In the girls’ division, four nations – hosts The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau will compete in a round-robin format at the Gambia Football Federation Technical Training Centre in Yundum.

The opening fixture will see The Gambia face Guinea, followed by an exciting clash between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. The boys’ draw delivered equally compelling storylines. Hosts The Gambia and Senegal were named top seeds in Groups A and B respectively. Group A features The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania, while Group B brings together Senegal, Guinea, and Liberia.

Thursday’s opening matches will see The Gambia begin their campaign against Guinea-Bissau, before Senegal lock horns with Guinea at the Gambinos Star Africa Complex.

The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the finalists set to battle for the WAFU-A crown on Friday, 28 November.

For many young players, this competition represents a rare opportunity to showcase their talent on a regional stage and test themselves against some of the brightest prospects in West African football.

CAF African Schools Football Championship WAFU-A Qualifiers Draw Results:

 GIRLS U-15

Round-Robin: The Gambia (Hosts), Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau 

BOYS U-15

Group A: The Gambia (Hosts), Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania

Group B: Senegal, Guinea, Liberia.