SA to defend CAF African Schools Championship title in Ghana
On Monday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) declared Ghana the host of the third edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship 2025 Continental Finals.
Africa’s most promising young talents will be in the spotlight during April, with Morocco hosting the u17 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) from 30 March to 19 April, where South Africa’s Emile Witbooi will be among those in action.
From 26 April to 18 May, the u20 Afcon will take place in Côte d’Ivoire, with leading African football nations, including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa, among the participants.
Then, towards the end of April, the u17 CAF | FIFA Women’s World Cup third-round qualifiers will be held. The teams in action include Cameroon, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Algeria, Nigeria, Benin, and Zambia, with places in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is set to be hosted in Morocco later this year, on the line.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship will be hosted in West Africa for the first time after South Africa hosted the previous finals in 2023 and Tanzania hosted the event in 2024.
The u15 South African girls’ team is the defending champion. In Tanzania, they edged out Morocco 5-4 from the penalty spot after the final had ended in a 1-1 stalemate in regular time.
In the boys’ tournament, Tanzania defeated Guinea, the champion of the inaugural boys’ competition, held in 2023, by a goal to nil.
The championship was inaugurated by CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo, Mozambique.
Since its launch, over 1 965 000 boys and girls from 46 countries have engaged in the programme, making it the most successful youth sports mobilisation initiative in Africa.
In collaboration with the Motsepe Foundation, which contributed $10-million, CAF has utilised the prize funds for legacy projects in schools. These initiatives include renovations, the construction of libraries, infrastructure improvements, and various community development efforts.
The champion of the CAF African Schools Football Championship will receive $300 000, while the second-place team will earn $200 000, and the third-place team will be awarded $150 000.
A total of 46 countries signed up to compete in the 2024/25 season, with each fielding their national school teams in the zonal qualifiers, which were held from October 2024 to January 2025. The winners from the six CAF Zones, along with the winning boys’ and girls’ teams from the 2023/24 Finals, will join the host nation, Ghana, in the Continental Finals.
“We are excited for the upcoming CAF African Schools Football Championship in Ghana, a landmark event that continues to inspire young talent across Africa,” said CAF Director of Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna.
“With partners like Canal+ on board, we are elevating this competition to new heights. Their support strengthens our mission to develop the next generation of football stars while fostering education, skills, and opportunities for young players.
“We look forward to an unforgettable tournament filled with passion, talent, and growth.”
In addition to providing the players an opportunity to compete on an international stage, the competition features a complementary capacity-building programme that equips the youth, coaches, and educators with distinctive skills for development, including:
- CAF D License
- CAF Safeguarding workshops
- Coaching Course
- Safety and Security workshops
- Young Medical Officers Programme
- Young Referee Programme
- Young Reporters Programme
The matches are scheduled to be played at the 10 000-seater Legon Sports Stadium, which was completed for the 2023 African Games.
The venue has excellent off-pitch facilities, which will accommodate the numerous crucial capacity-building programmes that CAF will stage on the sidelines of the Championship.
CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals 2024-25 Qualified Teams:
Hosts
- Girls: Ghana
- Boys: Ghana
Cecafa
- Girls: Uganda
- Boys: Tanzania (holders), Uganda (CECAFA runners-up)
Cosafa
- Girls: South Africa (holders), Malawi (COSAFA runners-up)
- Boys: South Africa
Unaf
- Girls: Morocco
- Boys: Algeria
Uniffac
- Girls: DR Congo
- Boys: DR Congo
Wafu A
- Girls: Gambia
- Boys: Senegal
Wafu B
- Girls: Benin (runners-up to hosts Ghana)
- Boys: Cote d’Ivoire
