
Capacity Building at the heart of upcoming CAF African Schools Football Championship in Accra
The third successive season of the CAF African Schools Football Championship Continental Finals will be staged between 23 – 26 April in Accra where a total of eight (8) nations in both the boys and girls U-15 age categories will contest the African title.
With all eyes firmly fixed on the exciting youth football action, CAF is strategically making use of the Continental Finals to equip local youth with a variety of workshops designed to upskill them into future African leaders.
A total of six workshops officially kicked off on Monday, 21 April which include the Young Referees Programme, Young Reporters Programme, Young Medical Officers Programme, Safety & Security Workshop, CAF D License Coaching Course as well as the CAF Safeguarding Workshops.
Each programme comprises of 30 participants who will all graduate at the end of the programme with a newly found skill that can be used beyond the field of play.
Speaking from the sidelines of the programme, CAF Director of Member Associations Sarah Mukuna said the workshops form a crucial part of the ongoing success of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, adding that the tournament affords CAF an opportunity to make a positive impact.
'The CAF African Schools Football Championship has been a great success since it's 2022 inaugural edition. More than 800 000 boys and girls across Africa have been afforded an opportunity to play competitive football but more importantly, CAF has used the programme to effectively capacitate young Africans. Through the CAF Capacity Building Programmes, we have managed to train and accredit young Africans with skills that we are confident can be used both on and off the field', said Mukuna.
All workshops are conducted by highly experienced industry experts who will share both theory and practical experience.
Also expected to make a turn at the various workshops are CAF Legends, Clementine Toure (Cote d'Ivoire), Robert Kidiaba (DR Congo), Abedi Pele, Asamoah Gyan, Adjoa Bayor (all Ghana), Amanda Dlamini (South Africa) and Kareem Haggui (Tunisia).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al-Ahram Weekly
7 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Marc Brys parts ways with Cameroon over unpaid salary - Africa
Belgian coach Marc Brys has resigned as Cameroon's national team manager, the Cameroonian Football Federation (CFF) announced on Wednesday. Brys, who took charge of the Indomitable Lions in April 2024, sent a letter to the Cameroonian Minister of Sports and Physical Education on Monday, citing unpaid salaries for himself and his technical staff for approximately 60 days as the reason for his resignation. Local media reports suggest that strained relations between Brys and Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon legend and president of the (CFF), also contributed to the coach's departure. The reports indicate that disagreements centered on team management and player selection. During his tenure, the 63-year-old guided Cameroon through 12 matches, winning seven and drawing five. Brys's resignation comes at a critical time, with the Africa Cup of Nations scheduled to take place in Morocco in four months. Cameroon, five-time African champions, has been drawn in a group alongside defending champions Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Mozambique. In the ongoing World Cup qualifiers, Cameroon currently sit second in their group, one point behind leaders Cape Verde, with four matches remaining. The qualification campaign is set to conclude in September and October. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:


CAF
9 hours ago
- CAF
Ouzraoui Diki: A Midfield Marvel Blending European Craft with Moroccan Passion
In one of the most captivating contests of the 2024 CAF TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations, Sakina Ouzraoui Diki rose to the occasion on Tuesday, guiding Morocco to a hard-fought 1–1 draw with Ghana before edging the Black Queens 4–2 on penalties to reach their second consecutive WAFCON final. Her dominant second-half display, crowned with a well-taken equalizer, earned her the Player of the Match award and set up a tantalizing final against Nigeria. 'This trophy is for the team because without the team you would never be here or be the best or be anything. I am happy that I have this team. They worked hard and give everything on the pitch. We are going for the final,' Diki exclusively told 'I am proud about my family. They push me forward a lot. I think I have the best family in my life and in the world. They are always with me and supporting me. This trophy is for them because without them, I would never be here.' Blending Cultures, Building a Career: From Belgium to Spain Diki's journey to WAFCON stardom is shaped by an international upbringing and elite football education. Born in Spain, raised in Belgium, and a former youth international for the Red Flames at U16 and U18 levels, Diki has matured through top European systems—especially during a key development spell with Club Brugge. 'Belgium was also a great experience. It was not the best but great experience. I learnt a lot of things there. I think when I played for Club Brugge, it was my season there,' she opened up. 'I think I learned a lot and grew as a player and person. I learned one thing or the other from those experiences. Sometimes you play from the bench. Sometimes you are starting, but I am happy about my works there and at this WAFCON. I am so happy and Inshallah hope we win the title.' Now at Costa Adeje Tenerife in Spanish Liga F, Diki finds herself fulfilling a personal ambition while writing a new chapter with Morocco on the continental stage. Vildah Extols Diki's Late Semifinal Match-Winner Diki's powerful finish in the second half pulled the hosts level, while Morocco trailed early after Stella Nyamekye converted a first-half penalty for Ghana. With the score locked at 1–1 after regulation, the Atlas Lionesses held their nerve in the shootout to win 4–2 and seal a rematch with Nigeria—the team they narrowly defeated via penalties in the 2022 semifinals. 'I want to say congratulations to Ouzraoui for the award. She played a crucial role in our win over Ghana and the victory was very well fought for. The Ghanaian team were physical but we played collectively and eventually won,' said Morocco coach Jorge Vilda. 'We worked hard to make it to the final. I am thinking about the Nigerian team that we will be playing in the final. I think she and everyone in the team worked hard to be in the final.' Familiar Faces Await as Morocco Set Sights on Nigeria The final clash with Nigeria will be a personal one for Diki, who will come up against country of her former club teammate Gift Monday and current Tenerife colleague Rinsola Babajide. Despite the stakes, she speaks with admiration and deep respect for both players and the Nigerian team at large. 'I have a lot of respect for Nigerian people. They are really respectful. Gift Monday is my friend and a good person. Really good football player. Unfortunate that she is not at this WAFCON. That's football. All the best to Rinsola Babajide. Let's see on Saturday.' Her remarkable understanding of the Spanish style, combined with the North African spirit of Morocco, makes her a unique midfield force heading into Saturday's showdown. Family, Faith, and the Power of Support For Diki, her journey is not just about individual brilliance—it's about those who stand with her off the pitch. She attributes her success to a strong support system and a coach who has placed his full trust in her abilities. 'It makes it easy working with a Spanish coach. He is a good coach. Someone who give me a lot of confidence. He believes in me in this WAFCON. I am trying to give him back. I think I am doing well and trying to be better. I hope I help the team more in the final to win this trophy.' Her husband, Nabil Chajari, added a final touch of emotion and belief in her journey. 'She deserves it and worked hard because she had a good partner in her life who always pushes her to be better and best on the pitch,' he exclusively told "We deserve the title with the hard work of the team and Moroccan people behind the team pushing them to be champions.' With the final now set, Morocco vs Nigeria on Saturday night in Rabat, all eyes will be on Diki to once again lead by example and inspire the host nation to their first WAFCON title.


CAF
9 hours ago
- CAF
Motlhalo's rise to African Penalty Queen
Linda Motlhalo. Elite penalty converter. Spot kick speciliast. Sharpshooter. And on and on and on. One could use all the superlatives to describe South Africa's number 10 over the years when it comes to converting from the spot. The 27-year-old midfielder is the first choice go-to pinpoint scorer for the Banyana Banyana, and she has been perfect over the years since finding the back of the net for the first time at the WAFCON in 2016. An 84th minute goal against Egypt in open play to seal a 5-0 victory over the North Africans to ensure Banyana Banyana booked a place in the semifinals in Limbe, Cameroon was the beginning of her goalscoring count at the WAFCON as an 18-year-old. Teenage sensation to Dependable Executor Calm in chaos is the best way to describe Motlhalo when she steps up to take a penalty for South Africa. Carrying the weight of a nation, the Gauteng born midfield maestro understands the job at hand and has mastered how to rise above the noise to create magic. Motlhalo converted her first penalty at the WAFCON in the 2018 edition in Ghana at the age of 20 when she was the first to find the back of the net in an impressive 7-1 win over two-time African champions Equatorial Guinea at the group stage level to open the floodgates for her teammates. The win sent Banyana Banyana to the semifinals as Group B leaders. But tables turned. At the same edition, Motlhalo took to the coveted spot and missed a deciding penalty that could have won South Africa their first TotalEnergies WAFCON title. A final against their biggest archrivals Nigeria. The stage had been set. Prior to that moment, South Africa had been to the final thrice and had lost all of them - to Nigeria in 2000 and to Equatorial Guinea twice in 2008 and 2012. In Ghana once again against Nigeria, revenge would have been perfect for the Banyana Banyana but alas! 'I think when it comes to penalties, I will take it back to 2018 when we played against Nigeria in the final. I took a deciding penalty, and I missed it. Obviously, had I scored, we would have won the WAFCON. It was a deciding thing for me. I know how it feels when one misses a penalty. I went back home and I was practicing a lot because I didn't want that feeling anymore,' Motlhalo opens up on what changed her approach to penalties. The scars of that final changed the trajectory of South Africa's preparations for the WAFCON going forward. They went on to defeat Nigeria in the next two editions in their opening games at the WAFCON. In 2018, they won thanks to a Thembi Kgatlana lone goal that did the job. Four years later, Jermaine Seoposenwe and Hildah Magaia netted in a 2-1 victory over the Super Falcons to further emphasize that South Africa had found their mojo against the now nine-time record African champions. They deserved to sit on the high table of African Football. Once beaten, twice shy Sleek on and off the field, Motlhalo is naturally a go-getter. Born into a football family with her father taking up coaching and her uncle Joseph Motlhalo playing as a goalkeeper for South African giants Kaizer Chiefs between 1970 and 1985, Motlhalo was destined to play football. 'I grew up in a family that was football oriented. My Dad was a coach, and I think at the age of six when my Dad used to go coach the boys, he would just give me a ball, and I would juggle it. I think that's when he realized that this is what makes me happy. And that's how it started. When I play football, I forget my problems. It is my joy. It is my happiness,' she reveals. Her passion of playing football has seen her travel across the world playing at major tournaments for South Africa including the Rio 2016 Olympics, two World Cups in 2019 in France and 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. Her professional journey at club level started in the NWSL – the American topflight league for Houston Dash in 2018 before playing in Beijing, China the following year. She then joined Djurgården in Sweden, Glasgow City in Scotland, Racing Louisville in the NWSL before returning to Glasgow City in 2025. 'I always practice penalties at club level as well as on the national team,' Motlhalo says with strong affirmation on her face. This experience continued to give her confidence as she grew in leaps and bounds from the spot. At the WAFCON in 2022, Motlhalo netted twice from the penalty spot – one against Burundi in the group stages in a 3-1 victory that booked Banyana Banyana's place in the quarterfinals. They edged Tunisia 1-0 to progress to the semifinals where they met a stubborn Zambia side. Once again, Motlhalo made no mistake. From the way she placed the ball on the spot to how she looked at goalkeeper Hazel Nali as if to check the pupils in her eyes to the way that she stepped back, assessed her angle, Motlhalo knew that this one was going straight in. And just like that, in the 94th minute, she slotted the ball to earn South Africa a crucial victory that earned them a place in the final that they went on to win 2-1 against hosts Morocco. 'Zambia! I remember one of my teammates asking me, 'Are you taking it?' I didn't even respond to it. I kept praying, praying and I felt that my knees were shaking. I don't know how I did it, but I was nervous. But I am glad that it went in. Pressure is a privilege for me.' On to the Promised Land With the confidence of finally winning the WAFCON in 2022, Motlhalo is now writing history. A reminder that success comes to those who prepare for it and decide to face fear in the face. For Motlhalo, the confidence she gets from her teammates gives her superpowers. 'We have been practicing penalties, and it really shows. We feed off each other. It's mind games when it comes to penalties. Andile [Dlamini] (South Africa's goalkeeper) does not make it easy for us in training. To a point where I didn't feel pressure anymore. It's more like a moment that happens during the game, and I need to cherish it. So, every time that I am faced with pressure, I take it as, 'I need to be as calm as possible.' I just do what I have been doing in training.' 'I was always reminded by people that had you not missed. We would have been champions. I like being criticised because if I am not being criticized, I get worried because it means that people care. So, I took that in a positive way, and I made it work,' she emphasizes. At the ongoing TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 in Morocco, Motlhalo started from where she had left off in the past editions. In her usual routine, deliberate from the onset, she put one past Ghanaian custodian Cynthia Konlan to open the scoring for South Africa in this year's edition. The Banyana Banyana went on to win 2-0 against the three-time WAFCON finalists. 'I think I was calmer. Also, it was the thing that, I know I am going to take it. Even the team saying, no one is going to take it but Linda. That on its own gives me confidence as well. I think for me the important thing was being calm,' Motlhalo reminscences. On Tuesday, July 22 in a highly contested encounter between South Africa and Nigeria, Motlhalo once again stood tall. Trailing 0-1 to the Super Falcons at the halftime break, South Africa needed something, anything. And just like that, when Magaia was brought down in the 18-yard box, Ugandan referee Shamirah Nabadda pointed to the spot. Banyana Banyana captain Refiloe Jane picked up the ball, held onto it as all the players tuned their mindsets to that moment. Meanwhile, Motlhalo stood back, observing everything that was happening in front of her and calculating where to put the ball. Effectively, she became the first and only player to score past Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie who had until the semifinals kept four clean sheets at the TotalEnergies WAFCON 2024 when she equalized against the Super Falcons. Michelle Alozie found the back of the net in the 94th minute to shutter South Africa's dreams of defending their title but for Motlhalo and her teammates, they will head home knowing that they gave their all in a heavily contested matchup against the continent's crème de la crème. Six WAFCON goals – five of them penalties in three editions has earned Motlhalo the title – African Penalty Queen. A title that is not necessarily consolation for their elimination from the title race but one that sets her apart from the crowd.