Zimbabwe has been handed the hosting rights for the 2026 continental finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, marking a significant moment in the country’s growing role in African youth football.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed that the tournament will take place in April 2026, bringing together the best Under-15 boys’ and girls’ teams from across the continent. The finalists will emerge from a series of zonal qualifiers currently being staged across Africa.
This will be the fourth edition of the competition, which was launched in 2022 as part of CAF’s broader push to strengthen grassroots football and education across the continent.
The initiative has already engaged hundreds of thousands of young players, combining sport with development programmes such as coaching, refereeing, and youth leadership workshops.
Zimbabwe’s selection as host represents both a logistical challenge and an opportunity. The country has previously staged regional qualifiers, but hosting the continental finals will significantly raise the stakes, attracting Africa’s most promising school-level talent and increased international attention.
The tournament has grown into one of CAF’s flagship youth projects. Beyond competition, it serves as a platform for education and social development, with participating schools benefiting from prize money directed toward infrastructure and learning support.
Winners of the continental finals are set to receive substantial funding for school development projects.
Uganda will be represented by one team, St Mary’s Kitende, in the boys’ category. The Wakiso-based school will be aiming to secure its first-ever medal at the final championship.
St Mary’s Kitende was the first Ugandan side to feature in the boys’ category at the final championship in 2024, alongside Kawempe Muslim Secondary School in the girls’ tournament hosted by Tanzania. However, Kitende did not progress beyond the group stages.
In 2025, Kitende had another attempt after qualifying as runners-up at the CECAFA level and finished fourth. The team fell short against hosts Ghana in the third-place playoff, losing 2–1 despite leading at halftime.
Following the successful completion of the zonal qualifiers, 16 teams—comprising zonal champions, the host nation, and invited teams from CAF’s sister confederations will compete in a tournament that remains proudly African while strategically exposing young African talent to global football.
CAF African Schools Championship Continental Finals Participating Teams
Girls:
Zimbabwe (hosts), Ghana (champions), Burkina Faso, Morocco, Guinea, Tanzania, Zambia, DR Congo
Boys:
Zimbabwe (hosts), Tanzania (champions), Benin, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia, DR Congo
CAF will soon confirm details of the invitational teams from other confederations.
CAF General Secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, said:
“The CAF African Schools Football Championship programme is a strategic investment in the future of African football. Under the leadership of CAF President Patrice Motsepe, this programme continues to combine sporting excellence with education and capacity building.”
“As we prepare for the continental finals in Zimbabwe, including the historic participation of teams from sister confederations, we reaffirm CAF’s commitment to developing young talent, strengthening institutions, and positioning African football competitively on the global stage,” he added.
The winners in both the boys’ and girls’ categories will receive USD 300,000, with runners-up awarded USD 200,000 and third-place finishers USD 150,000.
These funds are ring-fenced for infrastructural development projects at the respective schools, such as sports facilities, classrooms, libraries, and other critical educational amenities.
Running parallel to the on-field competition will be a series of capacity-building programmes led by seasoned industry experts and overseen by CAF.
These include the Young Referees Workshop, Young Reporter Workshop, Young Medical Officers Workshop, coaching workshops, and safeguarding workshops.
Further details regarding the official draw of the competition will be communicated by CAF in due course.
Additional information from cafonline.com
