Sheffield Wednesday is pleased to announce the 32 Sheffield schools that will contest the chance to win a trip of a lifetime to South Africa for this summer's World Cup.

The Sheffield Schools Africa Cup was launched by Sheffield Wednesday in November 2009, giving all Year Five and Year Six schoolchildren in the city region the opportunity to be part of this fantastic competition.

More than 60 primary and junior schools entered the competition by submitting videos produced by pupils, explaining in no more than three minutes why Sheffield is the best city to host games for the 2018 World Cup.

A judging panel, including representatives from Sheffield Wednesday, PUMA, the Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA, housing group Great Places, Sheffield Theatres and The Children's Hospital Charity selected the best 32 videos submitted and these schools will now go into a grand draw at Hillsborough on March 31 to determine which finalists face each other on the pitch.

Each of the schools will represent a country competing in this year's World Cup in South Africa and will receive special kits in that country's colours from Sheffield Wednesday's teamwear partners, PUMA.

Eight groups of four schools will compete against each other on the pitch at Sheffield Wednesday's Middlewood Road Training Ground to qualify for the grand final, featuring 16 schools, to contest the main prize at Hillsborough on May 5.

The next exciting instalment of the Sheffield Schools Africa is the World Cup -style draw at Hillsborough which will be attended by Owls manager, Alan Irvine, captain, Darren Purse and chairman, Lee Strafford, as well as the Lord Mayor, Hillsborough MP Angela Smith and representatives of Sheffield 2018's Back The Bid team.

Eight-a-side teams (squads of ten) made up of girls and boys will contest the Sheffield Schools Africa Cup and every school in the finals will receive free Sheffield Wednesday training sessions. The overall winner will be flown out to South Africa to enjoy the atmosphere of the biggest sporting event on earth.

Sheffield Wednesday community manager, Marcus Brameld said: "We are delighted to announce the finalists for the Sheffield Schools Africa Cup. The quality of the videos produced by our local schoolchildren has been very impressive and shows that youngsters in Sheffield are really excited about the prospect of their city staging World Cup matches in 2018.

"To spark the excitement in this competition we will be staging a big World Cup style draw at Hillsborough on March 31 and have invited children from every school taking part to attend. The children will find out which country they will represent on the pitch, receive kit, bags and balls from PUMA and will get a taste of what the trip to South Africa will be like if they win the Sheffield Schools Africa Cup so we are really looking forward to hosting this special event."

The Sheffield Schools Africa Cup is being staged in association with Thomas Cook, PUMA and Great Places. The full list of 32 schools that will contest the finals is as follows:

Concord Junior
Watercliffe Meadows
Bradway Junior
Greenhill
Abbey Lane
St Patricks
Nether Green Junior
Stocksbridge
Spring field Junior
Mundella
Mosborough Junior
Deepcar
Phillimore Community
Marcliffe
Dronfield Junior School
Hunters Bar
Halfway Junior
Carfield
Greystones Junior
Loxley
Monteney Junior
Emmaus
Hucklow Junior
Malin Bridge
Fox Hill Junior
Dore
Gleadless
Tinsley Junior
St Marie's
Grenoside
Wybourn
Brook House