Harare to Host Africa’s Biggest Schools Football Finals

Harare is set to host the 2026 Continental Finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship marking a major milestone for youth football on the continent. The tournament, organised by the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) will take place from 2 to 10 April 2026 and is expected to bring together some of Africa’s most promising young football talent. Now in its fourth edition, the competition was launched in 2021 by CAF President Patrice Motsepe in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire with its inaugural matches held in Maputo, Mozambique shortly afterwards.

Since its inception, the programme has grown rapidly with more than three million boys and girls participating across 48 African countries and over 82 000 schools. It is now regarded as the largest schools football competition globally. The finals will feature 16 teams including zonal champions host nation Zimbabwe and for the first time invited teams from other continental confederations.

In the girls’ category, teams from Zimbabwe, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Guinea, Tanzania, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will compete. The boys’ competition will include Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Benin, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and DR Congo. CAF said the tournament aims to blend sport with education and social development with prize money directed towards improving school infrastructure such as classrooms, libraries and sports facilities. Winners in both categories will receive US$300 000 while runners-up will be awarded US$200 000 and third-placed teams US$150 000.