The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the list of match officials who will take charge of games at the CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals, set to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from April 2 to 10, 2026.
The tournament, now in its fourth edition since launching in 2022, continues to grow as a major platform for developing young football talent across Africa. Alongside the players, the competition also provides an opportunity for emerging referees to gain valuable experience on a continental stage.
This year’s selection features a diverse mix of male and female officials drawn from different regions of Africa, highlighting CAF’s commitment to inclusion and development. Notably, the group includes some of the continent’s most promising young referees, with the youngest just 17 years old.
All the appointed officials are graduates of the CAF Young Referees Programme, an initiative designed to identify and nurture officiating talent from the grassroots level. The programme has played a key role throughout the zonal qualifiers and will continue to be central to the continental finals in Zimbabwe.
The African Schools Championship remains a flagship project under CAF president Patrice Motsepe, aimed at strengthening the foundation of football across the continent while promoting long-term sustainability.
Since its launch in Maputo in May 2022, the competition has produced memorable moments. Guinea’s CS Ben Sekou Sylla claimed the first boys title in 2023 after edging South Africa’s Clapham High School on penalties, while Tanzania’s Fountain Gate School won the girls crown. Tanzania went on to win the boys title again in 2024 on home soil, as South Africa triumphed in the girls category.
In 2025, hosted at the University of Ghana, Tanzania successfully defended the boys title after another penalty shootout victory, while Ghana lifted the girls trophy with a 2-0 win over Uganda.
Beyond the action on the pitch, the competition has also delivered lasting impact through its partnership with the Motsepe Foundation, which committed 10 million US dollars to the initiative. Prize money has been invested into community projects such as school renovations, libraries and infrastructure improvements.
The stakes remain high, with winners set to receive 300,000 US dollars, runners-up 200,000 dollars, and third-place teams 150,000 dollars, underlining CAF’s commitment to using football as a tool for development across Africa.
