CAF African Schools Football Championship focuses on capacity building, with 24 nations set to benefit from coaching education and infrastructure development in Ghana.
CAF African Schools Football Championship will place unprecedented emphasis on capacity building when 24 nations converge in Accra next month.
Beyond the competition, the event features a comprehensive development program for players, coaches, and referees across the continent.
Patrice Motsepe as CAF President shared that the competition will create the following legacies:
- FIFA-standard coaching courses for 120 educators
Eligible schools can receive FIFA-standard infrastructure grants through the program.
Partnerships offer European academies to conduct scouting activities together.
Motsepe made it clear that this initiative extends beyond trophy competitions. The development of African football starts at educational levels to build up the future of the sport.
The initiative addresses the issue that Africa graduates only 3% of world-class professionals while having 12% of global youth players.
The capacity building program will deliver its greatest advantages to these specific groups:
- Girls’ football development (40% of participants)
- Tactical analytics training
- Sports medicine workshops
Minister of Education Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum declared that every one of the 48 participating schools will get artificial playing surfaces.
The creation of sustainable ecological systems represents the core goal instead of organizing flashy events according to Blay.
African football may find its youth tournament equivalent after scouts from Liverpool, Ajax and Mamelodi Sundowns observe the championship.
The model expansion by CAF extends from 2027 to include up to 40 nations worldwide.