# West African football development initiatives

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/west-african-football-development-initiatives
> Updated: 2026-10-29T11:33:07.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2.

Burkina Faso has been selected to host the zonal stage of the 2026 WAFU B African Schools Football Championship in Ouagadougou. This follows Nigeria’s withdrawal from hosting the Under-15 competition. The tournament, organized by the Confederation of African Football, aims to support grassroots development and will include teams from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Niger, and Nigeria.

In a separate development regarding technical growth, UEFA is expected to send a mission of experts to Burkina Faso in early 2027. Following discussions with UEFA Secretary General Theodore Theodoridis, the collaboration intends to strengthen technical capacities for coaches, referees, and video analysts, while creating pathways for local talent to enter European football.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-29: UEFA and FIFA engage with West African football academies

UEFA plans an expert mission to Burkina Faso in 2027 to boost football development, while FIFA representatives visited Senegal’s Génération Foot Academy to observe youth talent training.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/uefa-and-fifa-engage-with-west-african-football-academies

### 2026-10-28: Burkina Faso to host 2026 WAFU B African Schools Football Championship

Burkina Faso will host the 2026 WAFU B African Schools Football Championship in Ouagadougou after Nigeria withdrew as host.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/burkina-faso-to-host-2026-wafu-b-african-schools-football-championship

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Cite as: West African football development initiatives. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/west-african-football-development-initiatives