Renowned Ivorian Women’s Football legend, Clementine Touré, heaped praises on the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) for its exceptional organisation of the recently concluded CAF African Schools Football Championship Ghana 2025 finals.
Speaking to CAFOnline on the sidelines of the tournament in Accra, Touré expressed her delight at not only the quality of football of the talented youngsters, but the exceptional professionalism and experience CAF successfully staged for the teams involved.
“I want to thank CAF for launching this youth football project. The work they have done, especially with the creation of zonal unions, is commendable. It ensures that young footballers from all over the continent get the opportunity to represent their countries in structured, competitive environments. I am highly impressed with the organisation of the tournament, these players watch big tournaments like the AFCON on TV and CAF has pulled out all the stops to afford them a very similar experience, which will encourage them to want to come back to this prestigious competition”, said Touré.
Highlighting the significance of the U15 category, she referred to it as a “golden age” — a critical stage in a young player’s development where both learning and character building take place.
“This age is all about learning and gaining knowledge. CAF’s investment in this stage of development shows a deep understanding of what the game demands from future professionals,” she noted. “It’s more than football. It’s about education, discipline, and dreams.”
Clementine further lauded the educational components woven into the tournament’s structure, including the emphasis on balancing school and sport.
“It’s not just about playing on the field. The children are also being educated about life beyond football. This dual approach is vital in shaping well-rounded individuals.”
In addition to the tournament itself, Clementine commended CAF’s collaboration with UNICEF and FIFPro.
“We’ve seen too many young African players whose futures were ruined by fraudulent agents. These workshops are empowering children with knowledge of their rights. It protects their dreams — and that’s something we all must support.”
She also acknowledged the importance of addressing abuse and misconduct in youth sport, applauding CAF for helping young players understand how to protect themselves and who to turn to when in need.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship drew to an exciting close on Sunday, with Ghana’s U-15 Girls lifting the title on debut in front of their fans, while Tanzania’s U-15 Boys successfully defended their title. Enditem
Source: CAF
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