Teachers, Officials to undergo CAF Safeguarding Workshops ahead of CAF African Schools Football Championship Finals
With the ever-growing standard of African football, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) continues to put strong measures in place to ensure the sustainability and growth of the game on the continent.
In just a few days' time, the governing body of African football will officially stage the CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 in Accra, where a total of Eight (8) nations in both the Boys and Girls U-15 age categories will contest continental honours.
While football remains the centre of attraction throughout the 4-Day youth competition set for 23 – 26 April, CAF is equally investing time and recourses into the safety and well-being of the players who are all 15-years of age and younger.
In line with creating a safe and secure environment for football development, the CAF Safeguarding Workshops will be one of the key events set to take place where local school teachers and team Safeguarding Officers will undergo a two-day workshop on 21 – 22 April ahead of the start of the competition.
Officially launched in 2022, the CAF Safeguarding Programme is uniquely designed to establish safe and secure environments across Africa for football development.
'It is important that we as CAF play our role in creating awareness and sustaining a secure environment that is devoid of any type of abuse, harassment or danger to all individuals involved – more especially children and women', said CAF Director of Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna.
'While most attention naturally goes to the excitement of the matches on the field, it is equally important that in the background, CAF is working tirelessly to ensure that football grows and develops in a safe and secure environment for all that are involved', she concluded.
The CAF Safeguarding Officers Workshop primarily focuses on equipping appointed Safeguarding Officers with the necessary means and tools to first - identify any potential threat or harm that may come the way of young players and women. Secondly, the programme ensures that the participants are knowledgeable on the necessary steps to take in an event of such incidents.
Also expected to make an appearance at the workshops will be CAF Legends, Clementine Toure (Cote d'Ivoire), Robert Kidiaba (DR Congo), Abedi Pele, Asamoah Gyan, Adjoa Bayor (all Ghana), Amanda Dlamini (South Africa) and Kareem Haggui (Tunisia) who will be present throughout the 4-day competition in Accra.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship is a first in world football and remains the largest and most impactful school's football competition globally.
The current season, which is the third has seen more than 800 000 school-going boys and girls being afforded a unique opportunity of playing international football, while also having access to various CAF Programmes designed to equip them into future African Leaders.
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