CAF U17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (“GIFT”) to kick-off in CECAFA region in January aimed at developing women’s football in Africa
The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) is to organise the inaugural CAF U17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT), a pioneering pilot initiative to promote the development of women’s football across Africa.
The historic event will take place at the Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and brings together eight teams from CECAFA Member Associations (MAs) from 7-18 January 2025.
The tournament provides a platform to showcase young female footballers, build player capacity and promote women’s football at regional and continental levels.
The competition is part of CAF’s strategy to promote gender equality and empower the next generation of female footballers.
CAF has set out to increase participation of girls in football across the continent, encourage MAs and clubs to invest in girls’ football clubs, leagues and Under-17 women’s national teams, and provide a pathway for girls to transition from schools football to competitive football structures.
Eight clubs from the CECAFA region will compete:
Aigle Noir FC (Burundi)
Bahir Dar Kenema FC (Ethiopia)
Kenya Academy of Sports (Kenya)
JKT Queens (Tanzania)
TDS Girls Academy (Tanzania)
Boni Consilli Girls Vocational Team (Uganda)
City Lights Football Academy (South Sudan)
Hilaad FC (Somalia)
CAF is partnering with Azam TV and CAF TV (the official YouTube channel of the Confédération Africaine de Football) to provide live coverage, accessible in all regions of the continent.
In addition, there will be a CAF D-License coaching course and a workshop for media representatives to be held on the sidelines of the tournament, with the aim of promoting best practices in communications and media engagement.
Alongside the competition, there will be community events such as a girls football festival, sports clinics, and health awareness campaigns conducted in partnership with UEFA. These initiatives aim to leave a lasting legacy for local communities in Tanzania.
