By: Mohamed Abu Congteh
(LOCAL SPORT)
Sixteen West Africa Clubs are set to battle for the Star Sport Football Academy detection Tournament Trophy that is set to take place in Sierra Leone.
After the signing of a historic partnership, last August, with the Turkish top-flight side- Antalyaspor, which is geared towards the development of football in Sierra Leone, Star Sport Academy is set to host “The Star Sport Cup” in October at the Southern Arena, in Bo City.
Ahead of the tournament in October, which is actuated by its partner Antalyaspor, the management of Star Sport Academy has extended an invitation to other football clubs in the country, as a total of eight football clubs from Sierra Leone will be joined by other eight football clubs from different countries in West Africa including; Senegal, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Liberia and Guinea summing up a total number of sixteen teams that will battle for the trophy.
Speaking about the benefits of the tournament to the participating clubs, the management of the Star Sport Academy indicated that it will provide a platform for players to trade their careers on the international stage as football representatives and agents from eleven countries namely; Spain, Argentina, Turkey, Croatia, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Kosovo, Cyprus, Qatar and South Africa will be gracing the Star Sport Cup to undertake talent identification and scouting of young talented African footballers.
Also, the winner of the Star Sport Cup, which will commence on the 16th and climax on the 21st of October 2023, will represent West Africa in the Antalyaspor pre-season tournament in January 2024; however, players between the ages of 17 to 19 and exceptional 16 years are allowed to per take in the tournament.
In the build-up to the tournament in October, Star Sports Academy is set to organize a two-day preliminary tournament after receiving over forty applications from football clubs and academies across Sierra Leone, however, interested football teams and academies will pay the sum of Five Hundred Leones (NLe 500) to cover the expenses of the preliminary tournament.