Story by Anashe Murombedzi
THE CAF African Schools Football Championship gets underway in Harare on Wednesday, bringing together emerging football talent and a new generation of referees from across the continent.
Now in its fourth edition, the tournament continues to grow as a key platform for nurturing grassroots talent while strengthening officiating standards in African football.
A diverse pool of young referees, both male and female, has been selected under the CAF Young Referees Programme, which focuses on identifying and developing officiating talent at an early stage.
Among them are 17-year-olds Adekounle Samson, Mohammed Salem Nera and Likoso Astridah, highlighting the youthful profile of officials entrusted with managing matches at the tournament.
The championship will feature 16 teams competing in both boys’ and girls’ categories, showcasing the breadth of young football talent across Africa.
In the boys’ competition, Zimbabwe will compete alongside Tanzania, Benin, Morocco, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and DR Congo.
The girls’ category will see Zimbabwe joined by Ghana, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Guinea, Tanzania, Zambia and DR Congo.
The tournament is expected to provide a competitive stage for both players and officials, reinforcing CAF’s long-term vision of building a strong pipeline of football talent across the continent.
