Africa’s brightest young football talents will gather in Maputo from April 2 to 10, 2026 for the final stage of the prestigious CAF African Schools Football Championship.
The flagship youth competition organized by the Confederation of African Football has grown rapidly since its launch and is now regarded as one of the continent’s leading grassroots platforms. This year’s finals in Mozambique’s capital will feature top school teams from across Africa competing for continental honours in both the boys and girls categories.
Since its introduction, the tournament has played a key role in identifying and developing young talent at school level. The most recent edition was staged in Ghana, continuing a rotation of host nations that has helped expand its reach across the continent.
The competition was officially launched on 11 May 2022 in Maputo by CAF president Patrice Motsepe. The inaugural finals were held at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban in April 2023. Guinea’s CS Ben Sekou Sylla won the first boys title after defeating Clapham High School of South Africa 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw. In the girls competition, Tanzania’s Fountain Gate School claimed a 3-0 victory over Morocco’s Ecole Omar IBN Khatab.
The second edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship took place at Amaan Stadium in May 2024, where hosts Tanzania won the boys title with a 1-0 victory over Guinea. South Africa lifted the girls trophy after beating Morocco 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
The third edition was staged at the University of Ghana in April 2025. Tanzania retained the boys title after a 3-2 penalty shootout win over Senegal following a goalless draw, while hosts Ghana secured their first girls crown with a 2-0 victory over Uganda.
In partnership with the Motsepe Foundation, which committed 10 million US dollars to the initiative, CAF has channelled prize money into legacy projects such as school renovations, libraries and infrastructure improvements in participating communities.
The winners of the tournament receive 300,000 US dollars, runners up earn 200,000 US dollars and the second runners up are awarded 150,000 US dollars, reinforcing the competition’s commitment to sustainable development through sport.
