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By ADERONKE OJO
Officials of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are expected to arrive in Nigeria on Monday for an inspection of facilities proposed to host the final phase of the 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship.
The inspection will hold in Ikenne-Remo and Sagamu, both in Ogun State, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Director of Media and Communications of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ademola Olajire, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Olajire, the CAF delegation will assess competition venues, training facilities and other ancillary infrastructure in the two locations.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship, launched four years ago, is an annual Under-15 competition designed to promote youth football development and education across Africa.
The tournament, open to both boys and girls, is supported by a 10 million-dollar investment from the Dr Patrice Motsepe Foundation and features zonal qualifiers that culminate in a continental finals competition.
The 2024 finals were hosted by Accra, Ghana, where Tanzania emerged champions in the boys’ category, while host nation Ghana won the girls’ title.
Winners of the championship receive up to 300,000 dollars in infrastructural development support.
The competition also partners with organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote health education.
CAF officials expected for the inspection include Omar Amr (Safeguarding), Fatima Elmissaoui (African Schools Football Championship Officer), Herve Dassoundo (Marketing and Branding), Mahmoud Amer (Travel and Logistics), Diabate Zakarhiya (Safety and Security).
Also part of the delegation are Hend Thabet (Travel and Accommodation) and Joshua Knipp (ASFC Competition), as well as
the Executive Director of WAFU B, Philippe Tchere.
The inspection is expected focus on the Remo Stars Stadium and training pitches in Ikenne-Remo, as well as the FC Ebedei Stadium, training facilities, hospitals and hotel infrastructure in Sagamu. (NAN)
