Inspectors from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have concluded an assessment of Nigeria’s proposed host venues for the Final Phase of the 2025/26 CAF African Schools Football Championship, describing the facilities in Remo as exceptional and setting a new benchmark for the region.
The seven-member CAF delegation completed a two-day inspection on Wednesday (yesterday), examining infrastructure and equipment at the Remo Stars Sports Institute, the FC Ebedei Stadium, the Babcock University Teaching Hospital and the Babcock University Guest House.
The visit formed part of CAF’s evaluation process ahead of the continental youth tournament scheduled for April.
Led by CAF safeguarding official Omar Amr, the team reviewed sporting, medical, accommodation, logistics and security provisions across the sites. Officials from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and representatives of the host institutions accompanied the inspectors throughout the exercise.
According to the NFF, CAF officials expressed strong satisfaction with the standard of facilities on offer at the end of the assessment, noting that the Remo complex compared favourably with any they had previously inspected in the sub-region.
‘The inspectors minced no words in stating how impressed they were with the facilities, with a member telling the President of Remo Stars FC and proprietor of the Institute, Hon. Kunle Soname that the facility remains the best he has ever seen in the whole of West Africa’, The NFF said.
Amr also briefed NFF officials and the Remo Stars Sports Institute management on the scale of the upcoming finals, confirming that 24 teams are expected to participate.
The tournament will feature eight boys’ teams and eight girls’ teams from across Africa, alongside eight invited teams from another FIFA confederation, making it the largest final phase since the competition was introduced in 2022.
The CAF African Schools Football Championship, launched four years ago, is an annual U-15 tournament designed to develop youth football while promoting education across the continent.
It is backed by a $10 million investment from the foundation of CAF president Patrice Motsepe and operates through zonal qualifiers leading to a continental finale.
The inspection team included CAF officials Fatima Elmissaoui, Herve Dassoundo, Mahmoud Amer, Diabate Zakarhiya and Hend Thabet, as well as WAFU B executive director Philippe Tchere.
They were received by NFF officials led by Ademola Olajire and Abdulrafiu Yusuf, alongside representatives from Beyond Limits Football Academy.
The last edition of the finals was held in Accra, where Tanzania’s boys’ team and Ghana’s girls’ team emerged champions.
Winners of the championship receive up to $300,000 in infrastructural development support, with the programme also incorporating partnerships with organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization to promote health education.
