April 12 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched a Pan-African School Football Championship, the governing body announced on Saturday.
The new leadership at CAF sees schools football as a cornerstone of football development on the continent and the Pan-African School Football Championship is to be the culmination of a pilot project in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The new CAF president Patrice Motsepe signed an MoU that will allow for the creation of a schools championship in the DRC with the help of FIFA, Congo DR Football Association (FECOFA) and the local government. This championship will then be scaled up by CAF across the continent, leading to a pan-African tournament.
At a national level, CAF wants to put “financial, structural and operational means in place for the successful completion of the competitions and training of school supervisors” and the “establishment of a local organising committee specific to the final phase of the competition” leading to the qualification of two women’s and two men’s teams for continental competition.
Back at home in South Africa, Motsepe, who became CAF president by acclamation last month in Rabat, has been a sponsor of schools football as well.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1713490183labto1713490183ofdlr1713490183owedi1713490183sni@o1713490183fni1713490183