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CAF
5 days ago
- Business
- CAF
CAF deepens reforms with Governance and Finance workshop in Benin
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has taken another significant step in its mission to strengthen the governance and financial frameworks of African football with a three-day workshop held in Cotonou, Benin, from 2–4 June 2025. The initiative brought together General Secretaries and Finance Directors from 17 Member Associations of the continental football governing body. This marks the fourth edition of the Governance and Finance workshop, and with it, CAF has successfully ensured the participation of all 54 Member Associations in this new initiative. This milestone underscores CAF's commitment to inclusive development and strengthening capacity across the entire African football landscape. The workshop is part of CAF's ongoing governance drive towards a continent-wide effort, inspired by the vision of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, to make African football globally respected and sustainably run. The workshop in Cotonou, Benin was led by CAF's Member Associations Division in collaboration with the Legal Affairs Division. The intensive programme covered governance, financial processes, model statutes, conflict of interest policies, and audit mechanisms. Day one focused on legal governance, while day two explored core financial governance principles, including budgeting, procurement, and financial compliance. The final day included a review session and the creation of action plans. CAF Director of Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna, described the event as 'another milestone in CAF's commitment to empowering our Member Associations with the tools to be globally competitive and self-sustaining.' 'There is no growth in football without solid structures,' Mukuna said. 'Workshops like this equip administrators with clear understanding of governance roles, responsibilities, and ethical frameworks. Our goal is to build strong institutions at every level of African football.' Participants echoed the sentiment. Claude Paqui, General Secretary of Benin's Football Association, said: 'This is an excellent initiative. The workshop has equipped many with essential tools to govern and manage their federations effectively. For those who had prior exposure, this was a valuable refresher.' For Fernanda de Jesus Jama António, General Secretary of Angola's FA, the experience was both technical and transformative. 'We tackled fundamental topics: governance structures, corruption risks, stakeholder management, and financial control. The practical case studies made the sessions relevant and applicable to our national contexts,' she said. Pascal Deto, Finance Director of Côte d'Ivoire's FA, praised the clarity with which the workshop outlined the responsibilities of senior federation leaders. 'It helped define the roles of the President, General Secretary, and Finance Director—especially regarding delegation of authority and collaborative governance,' he said. The Cotonou gathering concluded with Member Associations developing customised action plans to implement reforms upon return to their countries. The next step in CAF's governance programme is to deliver dedicated governance workshops directly within Member Associations. This localized approach will allow for deeper engagement with individual federation structures and the specific challenges they face, further reinforcing CAF's commitment to building sustainable and accountable football institutions across Africa. Previous editions of the workshop have been held in Johannesburg, Addis Ababa and Alger. As CAF continues to roll out these initiatives across the continent, African football's future will depend not only on talent and performance but also on the strength of its institutions.
CAF
26-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
CAF African Schools Football Championship Capacity Building Programme graduates honoured in Accra
CAF's Capacity Building Programmes at the ongoing CAF African Schools Football Championship came to a grande close on Friday, after the governing body of African football staged a glittering ceremony for the participants that underwent the training over the last week. A total of 180 participants, who started the various programmes on Monday, 21 April were honoured at the graduation ceremony that was attended by the CAF General Secretary, Mr Veron Mosengo-Omba following the Friday's conclusion of the six programmes that ran concurrently to the Continental Finals. In line with CAF's holistic approach to youth football development in Africa, the CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 is staged along with five CAF educational programme which are the CAF Young Referees Programme, CAF Young Reporters Programme, CAF Young Medical Officers Programme, CAF Safeguarding Programme, CAF D License Coaching Course as well as the CAF Young Reporters Programme. Congratulating the 180 graduates, CAF's Member Associations Director Ms Sarah Mukuna urged the participants to make use of this stepping stone provided by CAF, adding that their graduation forms part of the building blocks towards achieving CAF President, Dr Patrice Motsepe's bold vision of making African football globally competitive and self-sustaining. 'The CAF President's vision of making African football to be globally competitive and self-sustaining remains alive and very much achievable thanks to such significant achievements. The CAF African Schools Football Championship has been a remarkable success since its 2022 inauguration and with constant innovation and strategic planning, the programme has grown into one of CAF's most valuable assets of using football to help positively shape the story of African football. Through this graduation, we urge all participants to make use of this stepping stone by CAF as it forms part of the building blocks to achieving the CAF President's bold vision for African football', said Mukuna. The CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 officially draws to a close on Saturday, 26 April with the finals of both the Boys and Girls U-15 divisions. Both finals will be preceded by a third place play off, with all matches, including the two finals being broadcast live on SuperSport as well as on CAF's official YouTube channel, CAF TV.
CAF
21-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Capacity Building at the heart of upcoming CAF African Schools Football Championship in Accra
With just days to go before the start of the much-anticipated CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Ghana 2025, a series of CAF accredited Capacity Building workshops have officially kicked off at the University of Ghana in Accra. The third successive season of the CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals will be staged between 23 – 26 April in Accra where a total of eight (8) nations in both the boys and girls U-15 age categories will contest the African title. With all eyes firmly fixed on the exciting youth football action, CAF is strategically making use of the Continental Finals to equip local youth with a variety of workshops designed to upskill them into future African leaders. A total of six workshops officially kicked off on Monday, 21 April which include the Young Referees Programme, Young Reporters Programme, Young Medical Officers Programme, Safety & Security Workshop, CAF D License Coaching Course as well as the CAF Safeguarding Workshops. Each programme comprises of 30 participants who will all graduate at the end of the programme with a newly found skill that can be used beyond the field of play. Speaking from the sidelines of the programme, CAF Director of Member Associations Sarah Mukuna said the workshops form a crucial part of the ongoing success of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, adding that the tournament affords CAF an opportunity to make a positive impact. 'The CAF African Schools Football Championship has been a great success since it's 2022 inaugural edition. More than 800 000 boys and girls across Africa have been afforded an opportunity to play competitive football but more importantly, CAF has used the programme to effectively capacitate young Africans. Through the CAF Capacity Building Programmes, we have managed to train and accredit young Africans with skills that we are confident can be used both on and off the field', said Mukuna. All workshops are conducted by highly experienced industry experts who will share both theory and practical experience. Also expected to make a turn at the various workshops are 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).
CAF
16-04-2025
- Sport
- CAF
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.
CAF
17-03-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Ghana to host CAF African Schools Football Championship 2025 Continental Finals in April
Published: Monday, 17 March 2025 The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has confirmed Ghana as hosts of the CAF African Schools Football Championship 2025 which is set to take place from 21 – 26 April 2025. The Continental Finals will be played at the University of Ghana's Legon Sports Stadium in marks the first time the tournament's continental finals will be held in West Africa, following previous editions in Southern Africa (South Africa 2023) and East Africa (Tanzania 2024). The CAF African Schools Football Championship was launched by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe in April 2022 in Maputo Mozambique. Since its inception, more than 1,965,000 boys and girls from 46 countries have participated in the Programme, making it the most successful youth sport mobilization movement in Africa. In partnership with the Motsepe Foundation that donated USD 10 million, CAF has been able to use the prize money for legacy projects in schools, including renovations, building libraries, infrastructure development and other community-related developments. The winner gets USD 300 000, runners up USD 200 000 while second runners-up receive USD 150 000. 46 countries registered to participate in the 2024/25 season fielding their national school teams in the Zonal Qualifiers that were played between October 2024 and January 2025. The winners from the CAF six Zones and the winning boys' and girls' teams from the 2023/24 Finals will join the host Ghana for 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. 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." said CAF Director Member Associations, Sarah Mukuna. Coupled with its platform of giving youngsters the opportunity to compete internationally, the competition has a parallel capacity-building programme affording youngsters, coaches and educators unique capacity-building skills which include: 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 magnificent 10,000-seater Legon Sports Stadium, which was completed for 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 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 For more information on the 2024-25 African Schools Football Championship, please visit -ENDS- Further Enquiries: CAF Communications communications@
