Cape Verde to host CAF Strategy Conference after historic World Cup campaign

Cape Verde will host the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Strategy Conference from 7 to 9 October 2026 as the continent’s football leaders seek to build on a record-breaking FIFA World Cup campaign.

The conference will take place in Santa Maria on Sal Island and will be convened under the leadership of CAF president Patrice Motsepe.

Presidents of all 54 CAF member associations, zonal union presidents, members of the CAF Executive Committee, national team coaches and leading international football experts are expected to attend.

The meeting will focus on two main areas: strengthening football development and sustainability across Africa, and assessing the performances of the continent’s 10 representatives at the 2026 World Cup ahead of the 2030 tournament.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is also expected to attend the event.

CAF says the conference will provide an opportunity to examine how African football can become more competitive globally while developing sustainable structures capable of supporting the game across the continent.

The 10 African nations that competed at the 2026 World Cup will attend alongside their coaches, while coaches from the other 44 CAF member associations have also been invited.

Other prominent participants will include international football experts and FIFA’s Technical Study Group, led by former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger.

Coaches of the African women’s national teams that have qualified for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will also take part, as will coaches of the African Under-17 teams heading to the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

CAF believes bringing together coaches and officials from different levels of the game will help translate lessons from major international competitions into improvements in player development, coaching and long-term planning.

The choice of Cape Verde as host comes after the island nation attracted worldwide attention with its performance at the 2026 World Cup.

CAF said the country’s progress demonstrates the development achieved by African football in recent years and makes it a fitting venue for discussions about the continent’s future.

The conference comes after what CAF describes as a landmark World Cup for Africa, with a record 10 African nations qualifying for the 2026 tournament and nine reaching the knockout stage.

Those performances are expected to form a major part of discussions in Cape Verde, with CAF seeking to identify the factors behind the continent’s improved showing and determine how those gains can be sustained.

The meeting will also examine measures to strengthen CAF competitions and develop sustainable football ecosystems across all 54 member associations.

Motsepe has called on African football leaders to work towards making the continent’s football structures world-class and financially self-supporting, while improving the competitiveness of CAF’s competitions on the global stage.

The lessons from the 2026 World Cup will therefore provide the basis for discussions on how Africa can prepare its national teams, players and coaches for greater success at the 2030 World Cup.