School Football: Algerian Team Qualifies for African Championship
The Algerian U15 boys’ football team secured their place in the upcoming African Schools Football Championship, set to take place in March 2025 in Côte d’Ivoire, after finishing first in the qualifying tournament for the North African zone, which concluded on Friday in Oran.
In their second and final match, the national team triumphed over their Tunisian counterparts with a score of 1-0 at the annex stadium of the Miloud-Hadefi sports complex. This victory brought their total points in the tournament to four, placing them two points ahead of Morocco, who finished in second place. Tunisia ended up third with just one point.
This qualification marks the first time the Algerian national team has advanced to the final phase of the African School Championship, now in its third edition. Coach Mohamed Mehdi Benhadid praised this achievement in a statement to APS, congratulating his players for meeting the challenge successfully.
“I am incredibly proud of my young players, who have performed exceptionally well while exhibiting perfect discipline at all levels, which enabled us to qualify for the upcoming African Schools Football Championship,” he stated.
“Given the initial results of the three participating teams, this match against Tunisia felt like a final. We could not afford to lose, especially as the competition was being held in our country. This qualification allows our youth to compete against some of the best teams in Africa and gain invaluable experience,” he added.
In contrast to the boys, the Algerian girls faced disappointment, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the African Championship despite securing victory against Tunisia (1-0) in their second tournament match.
Under coach Boutaiba Oussama, the girls finished with four points from one win and one draw, but an unfavorable goal difference ultimately hindered their progression.
“The elimination of our girls does not diminish their accomplishments, as they finished co-leaders of the competition. Naturally, we wished we could have achieved a wider margin of victory against Tunisia, but our eagerness ultimately let us down,” remarked the national coach.
Boutaiba also noted that “this participation by Algeria is highly positive, considering the limited preparation time,” acknowledging the efforts made by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) and the School Sports Federation (FASS) to provide the team with excellent conditions.
This three-day qualification phase was organized by the FAF in collaboration with FASS, under the auspices of the North African Union of Football (UNAF). The winners of the competition received their trophies and medals during the closing ceremony.
