CAF Laud Remo Facilities Ahead Of Nigeria’s 2025/26 Schools Championship Bid

Inspectors from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have concluded a detailed evaluation of Nigeria’s proposed venues for the Final Phase of the 2025/26 CAF African Schools Football Championship, commending 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, touring major sites including the Remo Stars Sports Institute, FC Ebedei Stadium, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, and the Babcock University Guest House. The assessment forms part of CAF’s selection process for the continental youth tournament scheduled for April.

Led by CAF safeguarding official Omar Amr, the team reviewed sporting infrastructure, medical services, accommodation, logistics, and security arrangements across the proposed host locations. Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials and representatives from the host institutions accompanied the delegation throughout the visit.

According to the NFF, the inspectors expressed high praise for the facilities and their readiness to host the prestigious tournament. One inspector reportedly told Hon. Kunle Soname, President of Remo Stars FC and proprietor of the institute, that the facility is the best he has seen across West Africa.

Amr also briefed NFF officials and Remo Stars Sports Institute management on the scale of the upcoming finals, confirming participation from 24 teams. The tournament will feature eight boys’ teams and eight girls’ teams from Africa, alongside eight invited teams from another FIFA confederation, making it the largest final phase since the competition began in 2022.

The CAF African Schools Football Championship, an annual U-15 tournament, aims to nurture young football talent while promoting education across the continent. The initiative is backed by a $10 million investment from the foundation of CAF president Patrice Motsepe and follows zonal qualifiers leading to the continental grand finale.

Members of the inspection team included CAF officials Fatima Elmissaoui, Herve Dassoundo, Mahmoud Amer, Diabate Zakarhiya, and Hend Thabet, alongside WAFU B executive director Philippe Tchere. They were received by NFF officials led by Ademola Olajire and Abdulrafiu Yusuf, as well as representatives from Beyond Limits Football Academy.

The previous edition of the finals took place in Accra, where Tanzania’s boys’ team and Ghana’s girls’ team emerged as champions. Winners of the championship receive up to $300,000 in infrastructural support, while the programme partners with organisations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organisation to promote health awareness and education among participants.