Africa’s most comprehensive search for young football talent, Airtel Rising Stars will screen at least 2000 Ghanaians, both male and female over the period between June and July this year.

The footballers will be drawn from every region in the country on a zonal selection basis coordinated by the Ghana Football Association.

Airtel Rising Stars which is in its fourth year has become the best collaborative effort between the Ghana Football Association and any of its partners at promoting juvenile football in the country.

Since its inception in 2011, Airtel Rising Stars has produced players for the national juvenile teams. Notable among them is Priscilla Okyere who captained the National Under- 17 team to a bronze finish at the World Cup and currently plays for the National Under-21 team.

Four more girls from Airtel Rising Stars also played for Ghana in the World Under-17 cup played in Costa Rica.

The Head of Corporate Communications at Airtel, Donald Dwira expects this year’s Airtel Rising Stars to have an even bigger impact on Ghana.

“This year, we are targeting the National Boys Under-17 national team as well. We have made a huge statement with the Girls National Team and we will add to the numbers there. But we also want to find players who can have a chance with the National Boys Juvenile side or the Black Starlets. If we can find players worthy of representing their country, we will not only be helping them fulfill their talent, we will also help bring honour to the country.” Said Donald Dwira

This year’s Airtel Rising Stars will be launched on the 28th of May in Accra. The ten regions of Ghana will be divided into four zones who will then compete in zonal championships in Ho, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Tamale. The best players from each zone will be selected to play a national finals competition to be held in Sunyani.

Donald Dwira expects the competition for places to be tough at the finals to be tough.

“This year’s Airtel rising Stars will be by far the best and the most competitive. We are looking at the best players in Ghana at the Under-17 level in the country’s juvenile leagues. At the finals in Sunyani, only the best players will be selected to make the final squad which will represent Ghana at the Africa competition of the Airtel Rising Stars to be played in Gabon.

Anybody the technical team managing the football competition picks would be deserving of the prestigious privilege to play for Ghana and the level must be the same as being in the Black Starlets or the Black Maidens team.” The Head of Airtel’s Corporate Communications said..

The Airtel Rising Stars championship in Gabon will feature seventeen countries within which the Bharti Airtel Group, the global telecom giant operates in. The Airtel Rising Stars project is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the group which is one of the most loved brands in Africa.