Latest news with #AfricanSchoolsFootballChampionship
CAF
26-05-2025
- Sport
- CAF
CAF marks World Football Day with continued commitment to Youth Empowerment, Education and Schools Football
The Confédération Africaine de Football ('CAF') joined the global community in celebrating World Football Day reaffirming its dedication to harnessing the power of the game to drive social development, youth empowerment and education across the African continent. At the heart of CAF's commitment is the CAF African Schools Football Championship – an initiative championed by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe and a flagship grassroots programme that continues to impact hundreds of thousands of young boys and girls. The CAF African Schools Football Championship transcends the 90 minutes and is also focused on promoting life skills, teamwork, and leadership. In recognition of football's role in advancing global development, CAF's Director of Member Associations and Executive Member of the United Nations' Football for the Goals (FFTG) Advisory Board, Sarah Mukuna, recently participated in the UN Football for the Goals Forum, held over two days at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. During her presentation, Mukuna shared the transformational impact of CAF's school-level programmes and how they align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — notably in areas of good health (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17). 'Through the CAF African Schools Football Championship, we are building a movement that places education, inclusion, and empowerment at the heart of youth development. Our collaboration with the UN and other global partners strengthens our resolve to use football to shape a better, more equitable future for Africa's children,' Mukuna said. The Forum served as a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the six football confederations, UN Member States, and senior UN officials and other Members. CAF's participation emphasized the CAF's strategic approach to aligning football development with broader global goals, reaffirming Africa's leadership in leveraging football as a driver of sustainable progress.
Morocco World
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
EU Commission Becomes Official Partner of 2025 AFCON in Morocco
Rabat – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has signed a new partnership agreement with the European Commission (EC), making the Commission an official partner for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, both men's and women's, that will take place in Morocco. The agreement was signed on Sunday in Cairo by CAF President Patrice Motsepe and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela. Under this partnership, the European Commission will support the men's AFCON, scheduled in Morocco from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026, as well as the Women's AFCON, set to take place from July 5 to July 26 this year. The partnership also includes support for the African Schools Football Championship. Motsepe described the partnership as a 'recognition of the significant progress that has been made in CAF and the respect that emanates from the governance, ethics, and transparency policies that we have introduced, as well as our zero tolerance of corruption.' He added that the partnership with the European Commission reflects the shared commitment to developing African football and 'the expansion of the cultural, trade and investment relationships between our two continents.' Meanwhile, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen spoke about the strong bond between Africa and Europe, saying that they are 'partners of choice.' For the commission, 'this partnership is about creating bonds, about empowering young people, local communities, and entire regions. Sport and football are part of it,' Leyen said. The cooperation will focus on creating new opportunities, including new jobs, a quality health system, improved public services, and new partnerships. A key element of this agreement, Síkela says, is the support for the CAF African Schools Championship, which will reach up to 33,000 schools across Africa. Tags: afconCAFEuropean CommissionMorocco
CAF
29-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Touré commends exceptional organisation of CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025
Renowned Ivorian Women's Football legend, Clementine Touré heaped praised the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) for its exceptional organisation of the recently concluded CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 finals. Speaking to CAFOnline on the sidelines of the tournament in Accra, Touré expressed her delight at not only the quality of football of the talented youngsters, but the exceptional professionalism and experience CAF successfully staged for the teams involved. 'I want to thank CAF for launching this youth football project. The work they have done, especially with the creation of zonal unions, is commendable. It ensures that young footballers from all over the continent get the opportunity to represent their countries in structured, competitive environments. I am highly impressed with the organisation of the tournament, these players watch big tournaments like the AFCON on TV and CAF has pulled out all the stops to afford them a very similar experience, which will encourage them to want to come back to this prestigious competition', said Touré. Highlighting the significance of the U15 category, she referred to it as a 'golden age' — a critical stage in a young player's development where both learning and character building take place. 'This age is all about learning and gaining knowledge. CAF's investment in this stage of development shows a deep understanding of what the game demands from future professionals,' she noted. 'It's more than football. It's about education, discipline, and dreams.' Clementine further lauded the educational components woven into the tournament's structure, including the emphasis on balancing school and sport. 'It's not just about playing on the field. The children are also being educated about life beyond football. This dual approach is vital in shaping well-rounded individuals.' In addition to the tournament itself, Clementine commended CAF's collaboration with UNICEF and FIFPro. 'We've seen too many young African players whose futures were ruined by fraudulent agents. These workshops are empowering children with knowledge of their rights. It protects their dreams — and that's something we all must support.' She also acknowledged the importance of addressing abuse and misconduct in youth sport, applauding CAF for helping young players understand how to protect themselves and who to turn to when in need. The CAF African Schools Football Championship drew to an exciting close on Sunday, with Ghana's U-15 Girls lifting the title on debut in front of their fans, while Tanzania's U-15 Boys successfully defended their title.
CAF
26-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
WATCH LIVE: CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe to host press conference following arrival in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, 26 April
Published: Saturday, 26 April 2025 The President of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) Dr Patrice Motsepe will host a press conference in Accra, Ghana on Saturday from 13:30 local time / GMT. The event will be streamed live on CAF's YouTube channel, CAF TV. Dr Motsepe will also meet with Ghana President, His Excellency John Mahama, on Saturday morning at Jubilee House in Accra. He will hold a meet with CAF's Vice-Presidents and later in the day there will be an Executive Committee meeting. Dr Motsepe will also attend a mixed zone with participants from the Young Reporters Workshop that has taken place on the sidelines of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, Ghana 2025 before heading to the University of Ghana Stadium. There he will attend the closing ceremony of the schools championship, and watch the Girls final between Ghana and Uganda, and the Boys decider between defending champions Tanzania and Senegal.
CAF
24-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Constant encouragement is key at this level – Joyce Boatey-Agyei
Winning matches and ultimately the CAF African Schools Football Championship title is important for a host nation, however unearthing and nurturing talent supersedes this by far. These were the sentiments shared by head coach of the Ghana U-15 Girls national team on Wednesday afternoon, following their narrow 1-0 victory over Morocco on the opening day of the competition at the University of Ghana in Accra. Ghana are first time participants at the continental finals and with the backing of an expectant crowd, Boatey-Agyei is under no illusion of the importance of doing well as tournament hosts. While the gold medal remains the ultimate goal, the coach cautioned against putting this ahead of nurturing talent, putting a strong emphasise on the importance of guidance and encouragement of talent at this level. 'Sometimes the crowd and stage, can have a positive or negative effect on a player, depending on their personality. So, it is important that we play our role in guiding, protecting and encouraging them at this level. The talent is there, and it is unquestionable but without guidance, it will not flourish. Yes, it is important to win, and we are encouraged by this result, but equally important is the protection and nurturing our talent', said the coach. Reflecting on the team's performance against a strong Morocco side, Boatey-Agyei said the slow start was as a result of a bit of nerves and that the girls had to be reminded of their capabilities, which is something that must be done on a regular basis at this level of the game. 'We reminded them of the training we took them through. We made them understand that even though they are playing against a team from a different country, they are no different to teams that have faced in our preparation and that is why sometimes the stage has an effect on their performance, which is why we need to guide them at this level of the game', concluded the coach. Up next for the hosts is midday tie against Benin, who are high in confidence following their positive start to the tournament after edging Malawi 1-0. The hosts conclude their Day 2 matches with a late afternoon tie against a wounded Malawi who will be looking at boosting their chances of qualification with an upset against the hosts.
