Defending champions Ghana have been handed a challenging group in the girls’ category of the CAF African Schools Football Championship Zimbabwe 2026 following the official draw held in Harare on Thursday, April 2.

Ghana have been placed in Group B, where they will face Guinea, Tanzania, and Burkina Faso in what promises to be a highly competitive group.

The team, known as the Black Damsels at the U-15 level, enter the tournament as defending champions following their remarkable triumph in the previous edition held in Accra in 2025. They will be aiming to retain their title against strong opposition from across the continent.

In Group A of the girls’ competition, hosts Zimbabwe will compete against Morocco, Zambia, and DR Congo in what promises to be another closely contested group.

The boys’ competition also presents exciting matchups, with defending champions Tanzania drawn in Group B alongside Zambia, Senegal, and Benin. Hosts Zimbabwe will feature in Group A against Uganda, Morocco, and DR Congo.

The draw ceremony was attended by African football legends Amanda Dlamini and Esrom Nyandoro, adding prestige to the event as participating teams learned their group stage opponents.

The tournament is scheduled to kick off on April 6, 2026, with the final set for April 10 in Harare. It will once again bring together some of the most promising young football talents from across Africa.

Beyond the competition, the CAF African Schools Football Championship continues to play a key role in youth development, combining football with education and community growth initiatives. Winners in both the boys’ and girls’ competitions will receive a prize of USD 300,000, while runners-up and third-placed teams will earn USD 200,000 and USD 150,000 respectively. The prize money is earmarked for development projects in participating schools.

Since its inception in 2022, with support from the Motsepe Foundation, the competition has grown significantly, reaching millions of young players and thousands of schools across the continent.

With a tough group ahead, all eyes will be on Ghana as they begin their title defence in Zimbabwe.