30 young players to undergo trials in Spain

Arusha. A total of 30 young football players from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been selected to fly to Madrid in Spain for football trials.

If all goes well, they will be playing for several Spanish football clubs in future.

The 30 young football players are those who displayed remarkable skills during the just-ended East Africa Youth Football Tournament or the Chipkizi Cup 2022 held between December 13 and 18 in Arusha.

During the annual tourney, football agents from Spain and the National Spanish League (LaLiga) and the Spanish Football Institute (FSI), jetted in to scout for new talents from East Africa.

FSI Director Pablo Verdejo affirmed that their presence in Tanzania to attend the Chipkizi Cup was to mainly recruit new players, who will be taken under full sponsorship for football trials in Spain, in June and July 2023.

Among the recruits were six players from Azam FC, Five from Fountain Gate of Dodoma and four from Eclat FC from the DR Congo.

The Future Stars Academy of Arusha and Saint Soccer of Kenya produced three players each. The Amarigo team of Uganda, the PE Academy from Zimbabwe and JKU of Zanzibar also produced two players each for the Spain trials, while the Idea Sports of Arusha managed a single player.

Tanzanian teams shone in the tournament, with the country amassing six trophies. Kenya and Uganda won two cups each.

More than 300 teams from across the globe, with over 4000 personalities between them, painted Arusha with footballs as the annual event captured the city.