Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya presenting the N500,000.00 Cheque to the Port Harcourt winning teams at the Agege Township Stadium, Lagos on Sunday.
Defending Champion, Niger valiantly fought hard to emerge the 2013 champions of the Airtel Rising Stars U-17 Africa Championship even as the curtains fell on the biggest age-grade competition in the continent.
The Nigeriens defeated Zambia 7-6 in a penalty shoot-out after the match had ended 1 apiece during regulation time while Tanzania needed just a lone goal against Kenya to clinch the medals in the female category.
A lone strike from Donisia Daniel was all the Tanzanian female team needed to emerge the Champion of the season two of the Airtel Rising Stars U-17 Africa Championship and end the country’s twenty-year trophy draught in any international competition.
(l-r)Arsenal Legend and former France International, Robert Pires, CEO/MD, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya and Director, Corporate Communication & CSR, Emeka Oparah at the Airtel Rising Stars U-17 Africa Championship hosted by Nigeria at the Agege Township Stadium, Lagos on Sunday.
The Tanzanians had come into the competition as underdogs in a group that had Sierra Leone, Malawi and Uganda. They however shocked book makers in the group opener when they defeated Sierra Leone 2-1. That was their only victory at the group stage as they went on to lose to Uganda 0-1 and drew with Malawi 1-1.
They won 4-2 via penalties against the DRC in their quarter-final match at the NIS Sports field before running riot against Uganda in the semi-finals with an 8-1 victory.
The Nigeriens came into the competition as the defending champion and went about their business of retaining the cup with such effectiveness and focus as they despatched teams one after the other.
They won all their group matches scoring a total of 12 goals and conceded three in six matches. Atotal of 58 matches were played during the week-long Championship.
Describing her country’s exploits at the ARS Championship, Tanzania’s female Coach, Abel Mtweve has this to say: “I am better. It is amazing. We haven’t qualified from the group stages for the finals of any competition for 20 years. This young generation of footballers are just about 14, 15 years of age. So, expect more from us in future”
Kenya’s coach: It is football. We had more chances than they did. They had one chance and scored.
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