Fountain Gate Secondary School's side had good results in pool A of the tournament, while Gambia's Scan Aid finish secured second place on goal difference ahead of the home side, South Africa's Edendale Technical High School team.
The fourth team for the last four's round was yet to be decided in Friday’s final pool fixtures.
Fountain Gate Secondary School was the first team to book a semi-final spot at the inaugural continental showdown after a thrilling first day at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday.
Fountain Gate, who put in a solid performance to see off Scan Aid 2-0 on Thursday, are leading the three-team Group A.
Zainabu Karuka and Winifrida Gerald, with her sixth of the competition, got the goals.
Speaking to CAFOnline from the King Zwelithini Stadium, Fountain Gate’s coach, Veronica Kiondo, cautioned against complacency, saying that there was still a lot of work to be done as the tournament will only get tougher moving forward.
“We have to keep our respect because these are champions from their respective zones so we cannot undermine anyone because it will get even tougher moving forward,” Veronica cautioned.
While the school comprises less than 400 students, of which around 60% are girls, the team looks like a well-drilled machine that has dominated its opponents.
Veronica noted: “We are a school as well as an academy. We have children which we train regularly and develop them from the basic level for a long time."
"When it comes to the stage of playing competitions, it becomes an opportunity to assess where we are and where we are heading,” the coach concluded.
The opening clashes of the pan-African schools' championship had plenty of goals and some wonderful football in a true celebration of youth football in the U-15 age group.
The matches were attended by South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, CAF vice-presidents Ahmed Yahya, Souleiman Hassan Waberi, and Seidou Mbombo Njoya, COSAFA president Artur de Almeida e Silva, and South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan.
Some 2,500 fans packed the stands in Umlazi as 23 goals were scored across the boys’ and girls’ competitions, which will culminate on Saturday with the semi-finals and final at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in South Africa’s majestic coastal city.
Home side Clapham High School lead the way in the boys’ competition after the opening day, though CS Ben Sekou Sylla (Guinea) and CEM Belaouche Mouhend Oulhadji (Algeria) only begin their campaigns on days two and three respectively.
Clapham played to a 1-1 draw with Malawi’s Salima Secondary in their opening fixture, a rematch from the final of the COSAFA qualification competition that was staged in Lilongwe last year. As the hosted zone, COSAFA has two sides to boys’ and girls’ events.
Kabelo Sibanda was on the scoresheet for Clapham, while Blessings Sakala netted for Salima.
Sibanda scored again in the 2-0 victory over Benin’s CEG Sainte Rita, with Nkululeko Mabasa grabbing the opener in that game.
Sainte Rita made up for that disappointment with a 2-0 win over Salima in their second match thanks to two superb goals as Gedeon Djossou headed in the first and Achirafou Sabam doubled the advantage with a rasping shot that was Goal of the Day.
Clapham, therefore, has four points from their first two games, with Sainte Rita on three and Salima one. The top four teams in the group will meet in the semifinals.
Fountain Gate School from Tanzania were among the big winners on the opening day of the girls’ competition after they completed a 7-1 victory over home side Edendale Technical School in Group A that has sealed their place in the semifinals from the three-team pool.
Winifrida Gerald shot to the top of the goal scorers' charts with five goals to underline her rich potential, while there was a brace for Mary Siyame. Anele Douglas got the consolation goal for Edendale.
The South African side then faced Scan Aid from The Gambia in their second match and drew 1-1 in a tightly contested fixture.
Samkelo Gwananda put them in front but Kaddy Camara grabbed a deserved equalizer for the West Africans.
Ecole Omar ibn Khatab lead the four-team Group B with a 6-0 victory over Anse Boileau in their second game of the day, their scoreline boosted by four goals from Malak Hajjam El Idrissi, and further strikes by Aya Ayoub and Hiba Youssoufi.
They had been held to a goalless draw in their first game by CEG Cobly from Benin, who also have four points after they beat Anse Boileau 1-0 in their clash. A penalty from Bassopa Yokossi separated the teams.
The teams are vying to be crowned champions of Africa, but also for the USD 300,000 first prize in each competition.
The Motsepe Foundation has donated USD 10 million to boost the competition in its inaugural year.
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