CAF African Schools Football Championship drives data-led youth development through Talent Development Environment research
CAF is reinforcing its commitment to evidence-based football development, with new research from the CAF African Schools Football Championship demonstrating measurable impact on youth football across the continent.
Conducted during the 2025/2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship Zonal Union competitions, the Talent Development Environment (TDE) study gathered insights from players across 60 % of Member Associations, with an impressive 81% player response rate.
The findings provide one of the most comprehensive, player-informed datasets on youth football development in Africa.
The research highlights four key pillars namely:
- Talent Identification Mechanisms
- Long-Term Player Development
- Support Ecosystems
- the overall impact of the CAF African Schools Football Championship.
CAF African Schools Football Championship Talent Development Environment Research key findings:
Strengthening Talent Identification Mechanisms
- The data confirms that the CAF African Schools Football Championship is effectively enhancing talent identification across Africa through a multidimensional approach.
- Among coaches and technical staff, technical (64%) and behavioural (63%) attributes are prioritised as the most important criteria in identifying talent.
- This reflects a shift away from purely physical evaluation toward a more holistic model that values: Ball control, passing, and dribbling Communication, resilience, and coachability.
Advancing Long-Term Player Development
The findings strongly reinforce the CAF African Schools Football Championship’s role as a long-term development platform rather than a results-driven competition.
- 91% of players reported spending most of their time developing skills needed for elite football
- 88% believe coaches allow them to learn through mistakes
- 93% of girls highlighted a strong developmental focus within the environment
These results demonstrate that the programme is successfully fostering psychologically safe environments, where learning and growth take precedence over short-term performance.
Building a strong support ecosystem
The research provides important insights into the strength and gaps within the programme’s support ecosystem.
- 79% of players said coaches communicate development goals with support staff
- 78% feel supported in developing mental toughness
- 78–79% reported alignment between coaches and support personnel
Driving Impact on Youth Football Development
The impact of the CAF African Schools Football Championship is clearly reflected in both player and technical feedback.
86% of coaches and technical personnel believe the programme has a positive impact on player development
The competition is also creating tangible pathways for progression, including: National youth teams, Football academies, School and provincial football structures
Beyond player performance, the Championship is contributing to Improved coaching methodologies, Higher standards in schools football and more structured and unified development system across Africa.
With strong engagement from players and technical staff, the CAF African Schools Football Championship is setting a new benchmark for youth football development.
The findings confirm that the programme is not only identifying talent, but doing so within a structured, supportive, and development-focused ecosystem.
For the detailed research report compiled by the CAF Research Hub, CLICK HERE