Online Reporter
Petros Kausiyo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
It is not everyday that Zimbabwe get to host a FIFA or Confederation of African Football leader.
It is not everyday that this country also gets to host a continental tournament at whatever level of the game.
But this week, ZIFA in particular and the country at large have been proud hosts of the fourth edition of the CAF African Schools Football Championship at Gateway High in Harare for the group stage.
The CAF Schools Football Championship is the third key tournament inside six months that ZIFA president Nqobile Magwizi have staged in the 15 months in which they have been at the helm of the country’s flagship sporting association.
Before the on-going CAF Schools Champs, Zimbabwe also staged the COSAFA Boys Under-17 at Ngoni and Heart Stadiums.
They followed that up with the CAF Girls Under-17 GIFT Cup before following it up with the on-going schools competition whose group games have captured the imagination amid the enthusiasm and some spectacular goals from the teenage players.
Following the conclusion of the group games and the placement matches at Gateway yesterday, action this morning now shifts to Ngoni Stadium, where the football-crazy Norton community are expected to once again come in their large numbers to watch some of the finest young talent there is in Africa.
And to spice it up, CAF supremo Patrice Motsepe is expected to grace tomorrow’s final, which would be preceded by a third-place play-off for the losing semi-finalists.
Motsepe was yesterday visiting Senegal, but the CAF boss is expected to make it on time to watch the conclusion of this legacy tournament that is very close to his heart and which underscores his vision of helping the African game to grow.
Fans at the youth football fiesta will have a chance to watch “a final before the final” at Ngoni this afternoon has seen some of Africa’s finest grassroots talent on show with a mouthwatering semi-final showdown between Senegal and Morocco, which comes at the under-15 level.
This is also amid the tensions caused between their senior teams following the 2025 African Cup of Nations final debacle, which is still raging and now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
While their senior teams have some unfinished business in the battle for the 2025 AFCON title, the cubs of the Teranga Lions and the Atlas Lions will settle their quest for a place in the final when they meet at 3pm at Ngoni in the second of the semi-final matches.
In his foreword issued ahead of the start of the tourney, Magwizi reiterated the significance of the CAF Schools Football Championship.
“On behalf of CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, we have the great honour to invite national schools’ teams (U15), boys and girls, to take part in the Continental Finals of the CAF African Schools Football Championship, which will be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from the 2nd to the 10th of April, 2026.
“Launched in April 2022, the CAF African Schools Football Championship has quickly become one of CAF’s flagship youth development initiatives — celebrating talent, education, and opportunity for young boys and girls across the African continent.
“The competition reflects CAF’s strong commitment to shaping the future of African football by investing in school-level football and empowering the next generation.
“For nine days, Harare will transform into the youth football capital of Africa. A total of twenty-two (22) U-15 boys’ and girls’ teams, crowned champions of their respective zonal union competitions and joined by invited teams from our Sister Confederation, will compete on one stage—showcasing excellence, passion, and the true spirit of African football.
“The Continental Final of the African Schools Football Championship is more than a tournament. It is a celebration of dreams, teamwork, fair play, and continental unity. It offers young players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete against the very best and proudly represent their schools, communities, and countries, reads part of the foreword.
True to its reputation, the tournament has been more than just the action on the pitch.
These include the Protect the Dream “PTD” initiative, which supports young football players in pursuing their professional ambitions confidently, safely, and with integrity.
Each team will dedicate a few hours to taking part in PTD workshops delivered in collaboration with key partners, including those from previous editions CAF Safeguarding, UNICEF, FIFPRO, GIZ, and/or others.
Magwizi also outlined how important the CAF Schools Championship fits into their objective to have the game being played throughout the year in schools across the nation.
“The CAF African Schools Championship aligns directly with ZIFA’s strategic thrust to develop junior football. It speaks to a philosophy that recognises that the future of the game lies not only in elite competitions, but in the structured development of young players.
“Through the Roots Impact programme, implemented in partnership with BancABC, Zimbabwe is al-ready building a nationwide junior football system. Schools have been positioned as talent incubation centres.
“Participation has been expanded. Pathways are being created, and the CAF Schools Championship fits naturally into this framework. It provides a continental stage for young players.
“It exposes them to higher levels of competition. It reinforces the importance of structured development and organised pathways. It connects local effort to continental opportunity. At the same time, the Munhumutapa ZIFA Challenge Cup, with its integrated junior component, further strengthens this ecosystem.
“It ensures that development is not seasonal, but continuous. It creates repetition, competition and visibility for young talent across the country. Taken together, these initiatives form a coherent system.
“Grassroots participation feeds into structured competition. Structured competition feeds into elite performance. And elite performance feeds into national pride and continental relevance.
“Thus is how we will build our footballing nation,’’ said Magwizi.
ZIFA maybe making strides in bringing regional and continental football games to Zimbabwe but the idea of staging some of these games in Norton’s Ngoni stadium is putting Zimbabwe into serious disrepute. Norton, besides being dirty and chaotic itself, Ngoni stadium sits directly on open sewage channels that constantly emit strong stench of human waste into the surrounding including the stadium. I was quite embarrassed the last time there were international games being played in this stadium. Each time a breeze wafted past the stadium, I could hear some foreign dignitaries comment about this stench. They may have thought it was something temporary but this is a permanent feature that defines Norton as a town. Ngoni stadium is badly situated and should not host international games. It’s an extremely bad advertisement for Zimbabwe as a country. Harare is notorious for unleashing human waste stench. Norton is doing exactly the same. What do visitors say about Zimbabwe then?