CAF’s Schools Football Championship delivers major gains in education across Africa

The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) is continuing to position football as a catalyst for social development, with its African Schools Football Championship delivering tangible improvements in education and school infrastructure across the continent.

At the heart of the initiative is a substantial prize structure designed not only to reward sporting success but to fund long-term development. Winners of both the boys’ and girls’ Continental Finals receive USD 300,000, while runners-up earn USD 200,000 and third-place finishers USD 150,000.

At the zonal level, champions are awarded USD 100,000, with USD 75,000 and USD 50,000 going to second- and third-place teams respectively.

Importantly, CAF ensures that all prize money is strictly allocated to non-professional football projects that directly benefit education and infrastructure.

The approach is part of a broader strategy to build a lasting legacy, strengthening learning environments while nurturing young talent across Africa.

Since the programme’s launch in 2022, supported by the Motsepe Foundation, participating schools have recorded significant upgrades.

These range from improved classrooms and modern learning facilities to enhanced sports infrastructure, contributing to better educational conditions for thousands of students.

A snapshot of the impact highlights the programme’s reach:

• In South Africa’s Pietermaritzburg, Edendale Girls School has benefited from classroom renovations and improved security.
• In Goma, DR Congo, Complexe Scolaire Uwezo saw five new classrooms and a 5-a-side pitch constructed.
• The New Yundum School in Banjul, The Gambia, gained access to clean drinking water through a new borehole.
• In Conakry, Guinea, College Fo Fissa now boasts a modern computer laboratory.
• Egypt’s Sawada School received a high-quality artificial pitch in Al-Sharqiya.
• Ethiopia’s Geda Robale School expanded its learning capacity with a new library serving over 5,000 students.
• In Seychelles, Anse Boileau School introduced an outdoor gym to promote health and fitness.
• Malawi’s Salima Boys School upgraded its meal system with high-capacity cooking equipment.
• Additional support across The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Uganda has included football kits, educational materials, and a school bus.

CAF’s model continues to demonstrate how sport can be leveraged as a development tool, blending competition with meaningful investment in Africa’s future.

The Continental Finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship are scheduled to take place in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 6 to 10 April 2026.