Ouagadougou: The 2nd edition of the Toma International Football Tournament (TIFTO) is set to bring together 12 teams from various regions of Burkina Faso from June 19 to 29 in Ouagadougou. The organizers of the competition announced this during a press conference on Monday.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the tournament will commence under the theme “Preparing the next generation is the future of Burkinabe football,” expanding from the eight teams that participated in the first edition to twelve this year. The teams participating include Lowgoin FC, IDK, Olympique de Ouaga, Acad©mie Basga Jo, Olympique de Kaya, NS FC, Salitas FC, AS Elites, RCK, CFFFC, Kossodo FC, and Alpha Sonic’s.
Jacques Dalla, the promoter of the tournament, stated that the goal is to provide a platform for young talents to showcase their skills and potentially secure opportunities with major clubs globally. All matches will be played on grass pitches and will be filmed and broadcast on a platform accessible to over 300 clubs worldwide. This platform previously facilitated the discovery of Josu© Tiendr©b©ogo by a French club, where he currently plays and is considered a key player for the Etalons A.
Drissa Congo, the president of the Organizing Committee, mentioned that the tournament will also serve as a scouting opportunity for the national teams of Burkina Faso to enhance their squads and improve the efficiency of the Stallions.
The term “international” in the tournament’s name, despite its current national status, signifies the promoters’ future plans to invite teams from outside Burkina Faso. While the first edition featured teams solely from Ouagadougou, this edition includes four teams from regions within the country.
Originally intended to take place in Toma, the tournament had to be moved due to inadequate infrastructure. Jacques Dalla, a native of Toma, expressed a desire to engage the local community in improving facilities for future events.
The press conference concluded with the organizing committee conducting the draw, forming four groups of three teams each:
Group A: Lowgoin FC, IDK, Olympique de Ouaga
Pool B: Basga Jo Academy, Kaya Olympic, NS FC
Pool C: Salitas FC, AS Elites, RCK
Group D: CFFFC, Kossodo FC, Alpha Sonic’s