Cape Verde hosts the CAF conference

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that Cape Verde will host the strategic conference of the confederation from October 7 to 9 in Santa Maria, located on Sal Island, with the participation of various stakeholders in African and international football.

Cape Verde was chosen to host this event following the impressive performance of its national team in the 2026 World Cup, which garnered global attention. This will bring together the presidents of the 54 national federations that are members of CAF, regional federation presidents, members of the confederation's executive committee, as well as national team coaches and international football experts.

The conference will focus on two main topics: the first is aimed at enhancing the development of African football and ensuring its sustainability, while the second will analyze the performance of the ten African teams that participated in the 2026 World Cup, with the goal of drawing lessons and better preparing for future challenges, particularly the 2030 World Cup.

Patrice Motsepe, the president of CAF, has called on the 54 national federation presidents, regional federation presidents, and executive committee members to review the current strategy of the confederation, which aims to make African football a global reference and an independent model capable of developing its resources, as well as raising the level of international competitiveness of CAF competitions.

Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, is expected to attend the conference, along with the ten African teams that participated in the 2026 World Cup and their coaches, as well as several prominent coaches from the other 44 federations that are members of CAF.

The conference will also feature a group of experts and stakeholders in global football, including the FIFA technical study group led by Frenchman Arsène Wenger, as well as coaches of the African women's teams qualified for the 2027 World Cup and coaches of the African under-17 teams participating in their World Cup.

CAF aims to connect the lessons learned from high-level international competitions with the requirements for player development, training staff, and establishing long-term preparation programs, allowing African teams to maintain their competitive edge at the highest global levels.

The choice of Cape Verde to host the conference is a result of its national team's outstanding performance in the 2026 World Cup, highlighting the progress that African football has made in recent years, making the country a suitable venue for this strategic event.

This conference holds particular significance for African football following the historic participation of the ten teams in the 2026 World Cup, where nine of them reached the Round of 16, demonstrating the continuous improvement of African teams' ability to compete on the global stage.

The conference will also be an opportunity for CAF to evaluate the results of African participation in the World Cup, identify necessary actions to improve continental competitions, enhance player development systems and coaching staff, and build sustainable football structures within the 54 national federations, in line with African ambitions for the 2030 World Cup.