As Junior Wasps take on Congo Brazzaville at Point Noir

2011 Africa Youth Championship qualifiers

Today

Congo  vs Rwanda, 4.30pm
Nigeria vs Guinea
Zambia vs Mauritius
Sudan   vs Kenya
Ivory Coast vs Tanzania

THE Junior Wasps begin their torrid journey to the 2011 Libya Orange Africa Youth Championship with a tricky away tie against Congo Brazzaville this afternoon.

Much is expected from the youngsters who are under the tutelage of the celebrated Amavubi head coach Sellas Tetteh, who guided Ghana’s U-20 side to last year’s Fifa U-20 World Cup title.

From the team’s base in Brazzaville, Tetteh said, "Training sessions have gone well and the team is prepared to put in a good fight. The boys are determined, confident and have the desire to play in Libya.”

Gabonese trio of Engone Bibang, Vinga Theophile and Serge Soumou will handle the match. The return leg will be played on the weekend of August 6-8.

The winner of the two-legged contest will then play either Cameroon or Central African Republic in September.
In Yaoundé, Cameroon’s indomitable cubs face Central African Republic, the Young Pharaohs of Egypt, who have won the AYC thrice, are at home against Uganda while Zambia and Mauritius lock horns in Lusaka.

Free-scoring Lesotho is in for a big test against South Africa’s Amajita while Senegal, who ejected Tunisia at the preliminary stage face Morocco in Rabat.

In other games, the Junior Scorpions, dominated by members of the Gambian team that won the CAF U-17 title in Algeria last year will lock horns with Sierra Leone; Sudan clash with Kenya, Ivory Coast host Tanzania as Benin entertains Burkina Faso.

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles face the Junior Syli Nationale from Guinea, Angola play Gabon in Luanda while Mali engages Chad in Bamako.

Seven teams from the qualifiers will join hosts Libya for the tournament proper slated to run from March 18 to April 1 next year.

Ends