Senegal’s young Lions of Teranga have been crowned champions of the 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship after a dramatic 5–4 penalty shootout victory in the boys’ final. The closely contested match, played at Ngoni Stadium, ended in a goalless draw before Senegal held their nerve to secure the title from the spot.
The triumph marks Senegal’s first-ever CAF African Schools Football Championship trophy since the competition was introduced in 2022. Throughout the tournament, the Senegalese side showed determination and resilience, eventually overcoming their opponents in a tense penalty shootout to lift the prestigious schools’ football title.
Senegal head coach Ousmane Diop praised his team’s courage and commitment after the victory.
“We couldn't hold any fear till the final though it was a tough tournament, but we are so happy to take the trophy home,” said Diop.
In the girls’ category, Ghana successfully defended their title to become the 2026 CAF African Schools Football Championship winners. The Black Maidens secured the trophy after edging Burkina Faso 9–8 on penalties following another tightly contested 0–0 draw.
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The victory marks Ghana’s second title in the competition’s history and their second consecutive triumph, having also won the 2025 edition, which was the tournament’s third installment.
Ghana girls’ head coach Sandra Boakye expressed pride in her team’s achievement and the joy it brings to their country.
“We are the defending champions and we also won the second one. We feel so great and proud to make Ghanaians happy,” Boakye said.
Apart from the trophies, the tournament also awarded significant prize money to the top-performing teams. The champions in both the boys’ and girls’ categories walked away with USD 300,000.
Uganda’s boys and Burkina Faso’s girls finished as runners-up and each received USD 200,000. Meanwhile, Benin in the boys’ category and Zambia in the girls’ category secured third place and each took home USD 150,000.
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