Uganda has been selected to host the CAF African Schools Football Championship CECAFA Zonal Qualifiers 2026.
Jean Sseninde, the Interim Executive Director of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), confirmed that the tournament has been moved from Ethiopia to Uganda.
‘We are happy to announce that the regional qualifiers for the CECAFA Zone will now be hosted by Uganda from December 6–9, 2025. This is a very important competition to have the youngsters compete at zonal level for boys and girls and later, and we thank Uganda for accepting to host the tournament,’ explained Sseninde.
Ten teams for the boys and eight for the girls have already confirmed participation. The draw for the competition will take place on November 10 at the FUFA Studio in Mengo, Uganda.
Sseninde also highlighted that, in addition to the competition, CAF’s ongoing Capacity Building Programmes will be conducted. These will include the Young Reporters Programme, Young Referee Programme, Young Medical Officers Programme, CAF D Licence Coaching Course, and CAF Safeguarding Workshops.
Teams from the CECAFA Zone have been among the most successful since the CAF African Schools Championship was launched by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe in 2022.
The inaugural tournament took place in Durban in 2023, with Guinea’s CS Ben Sekou Sylla winning the boys’ title and Tanzania’s Fountain Gate School lifting the girls’ trophy. During the second edition hosted by Zanzibar in 2024, Tanzania won the boys’ title while South Africa emerged champions in the girls’ category.
The third edition held in Ghana this year saw Tanzania defend their boys’ title, while hosts Ghana defeated Uganda in the final to claim the girls’ championship.
Group Draws
Girls
Group A: Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda
Group B: Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Djibouti
Boys
Group A: Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, South Sudan
Group B: Tanzania, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan
