WE begin our discussion today with pleasing tidings to report from the CAF African Schools Football Championship in Zanzibar, which came to a euphoric climax last weekend from a Tanzanian standpoint.

Indeed, in an all-action football championship that drew a plethora of schools from across the vast expanse of the continent, it was hugely encouraging to witness Tanzania brilliantly lift the coveted trophy in the boys’ category of the utterly engrossing tournament.

Considering that the esteemed youth football competition featured schools from the so-called juggernauts of continental football like Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa among others, it was doubtlessly a colossal coup that Tanzania was wonderfully able to pull off in the boys’ category.

And, the icing on the cake was that Tanzania’s rare gem Abel Samson won the accolade for best player of the championship in the boys’ category, which just goes to underline Tanzania’s fabulous overall performance in the competition.

Similarly, in the girls’ category of this newly-minted football championship, Tanzania magnificently secured fourth place, which clearly demonstrates that there is an enormous reservoir of talent in grassroots football on the local scene.

Significantly, it is extremely important that the Tanzanian team which won the whole shebang in the boys’ category of the CAF African Schools Football Championship is kept together as they grow older otherwise this glorious side of eminently capable young guns could disastrously slip through our fingers.

Likewise, the Tanzanian side that outstandingly finished fourth in the girls’ category of this valuable football competition should be carefully kept track of as they mature lest we forget about their stunning exploits.

Speaking of exceptional displays, there is absolutely no doubt that the deadly Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, who is on the books of Atalanta, unquestionably deserves rave reviews for his sterling performance in the grand UEFA Europa League Final last Wednesday.

Indeed, the Europa League finale pitted the then-unbeaten Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen against the rising Serie A football outfit Atalanta, with the odds firmly stacked against the latter.

However, on D-Day, it was Atalanta who came out of the blocks the quickest with Lookman being a painful thorn in the side of their greatly heralded Bundesliga opponents.

And, in the end, it was Lookman who almost single-handedly put paid to Leverkusen’s hopes of capturing the trophy as the Nigerian netted a stellar hat-trick in what was a memorable and remarkable display.

It is also true that Lookman’s excellent accomplishment in superbly netting a hat-trick against the seemingly flawless Bayer Leverkusen cannot be over-exaggerated as it marked the first time that a player had scored a hat-trick in a men’s European club football final since 1975.

Having thus announced his arrival on the world football stage in such impeccable fashion, Lookman will now be doubtlessly courted by various well-heeled European football powerhouses who will all be seeking to hire his in-demand services.

That notwithstanding, though, it is difficult to envision Atalanta giving the green light for their most destructive Nigerian attacker to be sold to a European rival.

However, that is a weighty matter that shall be resolved on another day.

For now, all Africans can elatedly shout from the rooftops that a bright, new continental football star has been born.