Salima to pocket K225m

Salima Secondary School will pocket $225 000 (about K225 million) for finishing third at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Schools Football Championship in South Africa.

The Malawi representative are entitled to $150 000 (about K150 million), having won bronze yesterday after beating Benin’s CEG Sainte Rita 3-1 in third place play-offs at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Durban.

They also won $75 000 (about K75 million) which they are yet to receive, after emerging runners-up in the Cosafa Zone Qualifier which Malawi hosted at Bingu National Stadium last year.

Yesterday, the Malawi representatives were on fire as early as the ninth minute when captain Alex Blessing Sakala put them in the lead with a fine finish.

Ishmael Bwanali doubled the lead in the 13th minute before Latumbikika Kayira made it 3-0 in the 17th minute.

But CEG Saint Rita pulled one back soon after recess.

Then the Malawi representatives hanged on to the lead to finish third in the continental competition.

The victory was a sweet revenge for Salima Secondary School who lost to the Benin side 2-0 in the group stages.

Salima coach Joseph Kaunda was all smiles for winning the bronze and K150 million prize.

Earlier, Salima lost 2-0 to CS Ben Sekou Sylla in the semi-final while CEG Sainte Rita lost to host South Africa’s Clapham High School.

CS Ben Sekou Sylla won the boys’ pool with 10 points from their four games, followed by Clapham High School (8), CEG Sainte Rita (6), Salima Secondary (4) and Algeria’s Ecole Belawech Boumerde (0).

On Friday, Sakala and Innocent Banda scored for Salima Secondary School as they beat Ecole Belawech Boumerde 2-0.

Salima qualified for the finals since as hosts, South Africa’s Clapham, who won the Cosafa Zone qualifier, automatically qualified for the final.