Motsepe to Chair CAF Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde
Three-day Sal Island gathering to review governance, development and World Cup lessons
CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe will convene the confederation’s leadership on Cabo Verde’s Sal Island from 07 to 09 October 2026 for the CAF Strategy Conference, a three-day meeting designed to set African football’s strategic direction and examine how its institutions can deliver lasting development and sustainability for the game.
Preparations in Santa Maria are complete. The gathering will bring together the presidents of CAF’s 54 Member Associations, members of the CAF Executive Committee, Zonal Union Presidents, senior Men’s, Women’s and Youth National Team coaches and international football experts. FIFA President Gianni Infantino is among the leading international figures expected to attend.
Governance and structure sit at the centre of the programme. The conference opens on Wednesday, 07 October with a CAF Development Committee programme, placing football development at the heart of discussions. Those sessions will examine the areas that support long-term growth across CAF’s Member Associations, including coaching, youth development, technical structures and sustainable football programmes.
By contrast, Thursday, 08 October shifts attention to the Member Associations’ Strategy Meeting, where CAF leadership and Member Association Presidents will discuss the strategic direction of African football and how stronger football structures can be built across the continent. The meeting forms part of CAF’s stated ambition to make African football world-class and self-supporting, while strengthening the capacity of all 54 Member Associations and raising the global competitiveness of CAF competitions.
The final day, Friday, 09 October, will put Africa’s performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 under formal review. Coaches and technical experts will analyse the displays of Africa’s 10 representatives, assessing what worked, where improvement is needed and how the lessons of the tournament can be converted into stronger showings at the FIFA World Cup 2030. The technical conversation will include first-hand accounts from the coaches who led African teams at the tournament, alongside insights from leading international experts.
The review carries particular weight. Africa delivered its strongest collective World Cup showing in 2026, with ten African nations taking part and nine advancing to the knockout stage. Morocco reached the quarter-finals, and several countries achieved historic milestones. Those results, CAF notes, offer valuable technical and strategic lessons as planning begins towards 2030.
Meanwhile, the conference will also build on the technical discussions held after the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023, while widening the agenda beyond match analysis to cover football development, coaching, governance, sustainability and long-term strategic planning.
Coaching development is expected to feature prominently. African coaches are increasingly taking a leading role at the highest level, with six African coaches leading continental teams at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and the discussions will address greater opportunities for African technical talent.
Across its three days, the CAF Strategy Conference aims to translate the lessons of Africa’s recent progress into practical actions that strengthen football across the continent and build a firmer pathway towards 2030 and beyond. Whether the assembled leadership can convert a record World Cup into durable institutional reform across all 54 Member Associations is the question the Sal Island gathering must now answer.
Q&A
When and where will the CAF Strategy Conference take place?
On Sal Island, Cabo Verde, from 07 to 09 October 2026, with preparations in Santa Maria complete.
Who is expected to attend the conference?
The presidents of CAF's 54 Member Associations, members of the CAF Executive Committee, Zonal Union Presidents, senior Men's, Women's and Youth National Team coaches, international football experts, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
What will the final day of the conference cover?
A formal review of Africa's performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where ten African nations took part and nine advanced to the knockout stage, with Morocco reaching the quarter-finals, and how lessons can be converted into stronger showings at the FIFA World Cup 2030.
What is the stated ambition behind the conference?
To make African football world-class and self-supporting, strengthen the capacity of all 54 Member Associations, raise the global competitiveness of CAF competitions, and translate recent progress into practical actions and a firmer pathway towards 2030 and beyond.