“I hope they understand the opportunities that are presented to them." - Amanda Dlamini speaks on the African Schools Football Championships

 As the CAF African Schools Football Championships come to a close end in Tanzania, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation and the promise of youthful potential throughout the week. Amongst the notable figures championing this significant event is Amanda Dlamini, the former captain of South Africa's national women's football team, Banyana Banyana. Her presence is more than ceremonial; it is a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the heights that these young athletes can aspire to reach.

Image: Amanda Dlamini

Speaking with conviction and a deep sense of responsibility, Amanda Dlamini shared her hopes for the young players participating in the tournament. "My hopes for the young players participating here at the African School’s tournament is just that they understand the magnitude of the kind of platforms that have been presented to them. Not only in terms of exposing the players' talents at such a young level and participating in a very well and professionally organised tournament, [but] this sort of prepares you for the big league, whether it's the national team or international clubs but you sort of get a taste of what it’s like at the elite level already at under 15.” 

“I hope they understand the opportunities that are presented to them but not only that but the workshops that are being presented to young administrators, young journalists and media, those are some of the careers that they can find themselves in if things don’t workout in football. I really do hope that they take these opportunities with both hands.”

Image: Amanda Dlamini

For Dlamini, the key lessons that these young athletes will garner from such a prestigious tournament are manifold. “It’s great that CAF came up with the initiative of safeguarding the kids, they’ve got a hashtag that says 'protect the dream. Under that [hashtag] they are also outlining some of the key factors in terms of the fake agents on how it is that they can protect these kids from fake agents, those are some of the learning pointers."

"Don’t be an easy target, don’t get lured into fake contracts and fake scholarships, those are some of the key or most important takeaways out of this tournament, but also the respect for the game, treating yourself like a profession and the friendships that they are going to make but also just respecting the diversity of everyone's culture and just embracing everyone.”

According to the former skipper, another significant takeaway is exposure to professionalism and improved tools. The long-term impact of these tournaments is profound in providing the kids with opportunities to excel, African nations have an opportunity to develop a robust pipeline of talented players with new infrastructures on the continent. "I feel that the impact for the future is really good because then the kids are exposed to regular competition.”

“But not only that, they get to participate in tournaments [and] wherever tournaments are being hosted, CAF is sort of building the infrastructures to ensure that the kids are not only playing in different other countries or they don’t have access to infrastructures, they leave the infrastructures for them behind so they can use them and they can be accessible. I think with continuity and the consistency of participation, African football can grow and also just addressing the point of equality that girls are also being included at the same time, the growth is equally monitored.”

Image: Amanda Dlamini

Additionally, the tournament fosters a sense of development and the impact goes beyond the pitch. Events like this encourage young athletes to pursue their education alongside their sporting ambitions, understanding the importance of a balanced approach to their development. “My opinion is that the contribution of this tournament is a very massive one because we get to address grassroot football at a very early age.” Said Dlamini.

“We don’t get to skip any stages of the development of the player so that we don’t miss out on the crucial learning phases and it starts from the schools, you don’t have to wait until you get to a club. From school already the players get to  understand the importance of making sure that you attend to your talent, but also juggling education at the same time. I hope those are some of the things that can be addressed that we sort of nurture and develop athlete-students, and that it becomes a norm for the African continent.”

In conclusion, tournaments like the CAF African Schools Football Championships are more than just a competition; they are a crucible for character development and a catalyst for the future of football in Africa. With ambassadors like Amanda Dlamini championing the cause, the young athletes of today are given the guidance and inspiration needed to become the leaders and stars of tomorrow. As these players return to their communities, they carry with them not just the skills of the game, but the lessons of life that will help shape a brighter future for African football.