Defending Champions retain Airtel Rising Stars regional titles

Three teams have retained their crowns and a new winner has emerged in the Under-17 Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) Regional tournaments in both Bo and Kenema watched by thousands of people.

Two of three teams are from the female category and they are Jam Jam FC of Kenema who retained their title as Eastern regional champions and Bo’s Southern Queens who maintained their title as Southern regional champions.

The other team Kallon FC of Kenema are from the male category as they were re-crowned Champions of the Eastern region. Edmond Michael Foundation (EMF) of Bo are new champions of the Southern region boys’ category.

The four teams were named champions following their victories in their respective final games on Sunday bringing to an end this year’s Airtel Rising Stars Regional tournaments which took place in five cities Freetown, Kono, Makeni, Bo and Kenema.

The teams have now qualified to compete in the national finals of the Under 17 Airtel Rising Stars tournament schedule for Makeni this week joining six other teams from Bombali, Tonkolili, Koinadugu and Freetown.

Jam Jam FC were deserved winners in their final match against fellow City team Vision Queens winning 4-0 with two goals from the best player and top goal scorer of the Eastern regional girls’ tournament Musu Tarmu and a goal each from Wuya Mohai and Messie Swarray.

Kallon FC won by the same score line against another team from Kenema Lumbebu United. Striker Samuel Abdulai got two of the goals whist Dauda Koroma and Osman Jalloh accounted for one each.

Southern Queens fought a hard battle to clinch a narrow 1-0 victory over city rivals Golden Queens whilst EMF thrashed K. Foot FC 4-1. EMF scored the highest number of goals in the Southern regional tournament scoring nine goals in a single match.

The tournament is all about identifying and nurturing talents and surely it has yielded dividend because stars have emerged.

It attracted lot of crowd across the five cities; some people even defied the rains to watch emerging stars displaying their god given skills.

The focus of attention for the ARS tournament has now been switched to Makeni where the best ten teams in the five zones (five male teams and five female teams) will be assembled to compete in the national finals.

The winner in each category will qualify to represent Sierra Leone at an Airtel Pan African Tournament in Nairobi, Kenya this year.

Kenema

Boys

Awards

Champions: Kallon FC (Kenema)

Runners-Up: Lumbebu United (Kenema)

Third Place: Shankill (Kenema)

Best Goalkeeper: Mohamed Sannoh (Lumbebu United)

Highest Goal Scorer: Patrick Sellu (Lumbebu United)

Best Player: Ibrahim Bah (Maadason Academy of Kenema)

Grand Finale

Sunday 29/07/12

Kallon FC (Kenema) 4-0 Lumbebu United (Kenema)

Saturday 28/07/12

Group A match: Kallon FC (Kenema) 2-1 Maadason Academy (Kenema)

Group B match: Shankill (Kenema) 3-0 Young Emirates (Pujehun)

Group B match: Lumbebu United (Kenema) 5-0 Young Emirates

Friday 27/07/12

Makibi Stars (Pujehun) 0-0 (3-4 Pen) Lumbebu United (Kenema)

Shankill (Kenema) 1-0 Lumbeburma Academy (Kenema)

Young Emirates (Pujehun) 0-0 (5-4 Pen) Koindu United (Kailahun)

Group B: Lumbebu United (Kenema) 0-0 Shankill (Kenema)

Thursday 26/07/12

Ital FC (Blama, Kenema- disqualified) 2-0 Maadason Academy (Kenema)

Makbele Warriors FC (Pujehun) 1-0 Junior Professionals (Kailahun)

Kallon FC (Kenema) 4-0 Muloma FC (Kailahun)

Group A match: Maadason Academy (Kenema) 2-1 Makbele Warriors FC

(Pujehun, disqualified)

Girls

Awards

Champions: Jam Jam FC (Kenema)

Runners-Up: Vision Queens (Kenema)

Third Place: Kailondo Starlets (Kailahun)

Best Goalkeeper: Siawo Koroma (Vision Queens)

Highest Goal Scorer: Musu Tarmu (Jam Jam FC)

Best Player: Musu Tarmu (Jam Jam FC)

Grand Finale

Sunday 29/07/12

Jam Jam FC (Kenema) 4-0 Vision FC (Kenema)

Saturday 29/07/12

Group A match: Jam Jam FC (Kenema) 1-0 City Rovers (Kenema)

Group B match: Kailondo Starlets (Kailahun) 0-0 City Rovers (Kenema)

Friday 27/07/12

Group A match: Jawi FC (Daru, Kailahun) 0-0 City Rovers (Kenema)

Group B match: Kahunla Queens (Kenema) 1-0 Vision United (Kenema)

Thursday 26/07/12

Group A match: Jam Jam FC (Kenema) 2-0 Jawi FC (Daru, Kailahun)

Group B match: Kahunla Queens (Kenema) 0-0 Kailondo Starlets (Kailahun)

Bo

Boys

Awards

Champions: Edmond Michael Foundation (Bo)

Runners-Up: K. Foot FC (Bo)

Third Place: Crusaders FC (Bonthe)

Best Goalkeeper: Andrew Macco (Black Stars FC, Moyamba)

Highest Goal Scorer: Mohamed Akar (Edmond Michael Foundation)

Best Player: Alhaji Bangura (K. Foot  FC)

Saturday 28/07/12

Group A match: Pat Foundation (Bonthe) 0-0 Black Stars FC (Moyamba)

Group B match: Crusaders FC (Bonthe) 1-3  K. Foot FC (Bo)

Group A match: Black Stars FC (Moyamba) 0-0 Edmond Michael Foundation (Bo)

Group B match: K. Foot FC (Bo) 0-0 Dot Com FC (Bo)

Friday 27/07/12

German FC (Bo, disqualified) 1-0 Dot Com FC (Bo)

Water Stars (Bo, disqualified) 3-0 Crusaders FC (Bonthe)

Young Banta Strikers (Moyamba) 0-2 K. Foot FC (Bo)

Group B matach: Crusaders FC (Bonthe) 2-1 Dot Com FC (Bo)

Thursday 26/07/12

FC Kekus (Bonthe) 0-9 Edmond Michael Foundation (Bo)

Pat Foundation (Bonthe) 0-0 (2-0 Pen) Young Njala Strikers (Moyamba)

Black Stars FC (Moyamba) 2-1  Lazio FC (Bo)

Group A Match: Edmond Michael Foundation (Bo) 1-0 Pat Foundation (Bonthe)

Girls

Awards

Champions: Southern Oqueens (Bo)

Runners-Up: Golden Queens (Bo)

Third Place: Kai Yamba Ladies (Moyamba)

Best Goalkeeper: Hajara Kamara (Soluku Stars, Moyamba)

Highest Goal Scorer: Hawanatu Musa (Southern Queens)

Best Player: Nickolas Obi (Golden Queens)

Grand Finale

Sunday 29/07/12

Southern Queens (Bo) 1-0 Golden Queens (Bo)

Saturday 28/07/12

Southern Queens (Bo) 5-0 Kai Yamba Ladies (Moyamba)

Soluku Stars (Moyamba) 0-1 Golden Queens (Bo)

Friday 27/07/12

Soluku Stars (Moyamba) 0-0 (2-0 Pen) Edmond Micahel Foundation (Bo)

Shooting Starlets ( Bonthe) 0-4 Golden Queens (Bo)

Thursday 26/07/12

Southern Queens (Bo) 4-0 Invincible Stars (Bonthe)

Jay Jay United (Bo) 0-2 Kai Yamba Ladies  (Moyamba)

Teams in the national finals

Western Area Zone

Saint Lewis Rangers (Freetown, Boys Category)

Mahmoud FC (Freetown, Girls Category)

Kono Zone

Golden Stars (Magburaka, Boys Category)

Bintumani Queens (Kabala, Girls Category)

Makeni Zone

Santos Maria (Makeni, Boys Category)

Rising Queens (Makeni, Girls Category)

Bo Zone

Edmond Michael Foundation (B0, Boys Category)

Southern Queens (Bo, Girls Category)

Kenema Zone

Kallon FC (Kenema, Boys category)

Jam Jam FC (Kenema, Girls category)

Article and photograph by Mohamed Fajah Barrie in Freetown

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