The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is prioritizing participant safety during the ongoing CAF U-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The CAF Safeguarding Workshop was held on Thursday, January 9, 2025, at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dar es Salaam to educate participants about creating a safe and secure environment for football development. Uganda is being represented at the tournament by Boni Consilli Vocational Institute.
The CAF Safeguarding programme was launched in 2022 and has gained traction across all CAF youth competitions.
The initiative equips coaches, managers, players, and other key stakeholders with the necessary information to foster safe football development environments.
CAF has appointed and trained Safeguarding Officers across all its 54 Member Associations to further the program’s reach.
Speaking after the workshop, CAF Head of Women’s Football, Maskerem Tadesse Goshime, emphasized the importance of using competitions to educate Member Associations about the CAF Safeguarding programme’s benefits to women’s football.
“Women’s football in Africa is enjoying a period of exciting growth across all fronts. African women’s clubs and national teams are gradually playing to their full potential, with more growth expected in the future,” Goshime said.
“While CAF is encouraged by this growth, it is important that we create and maintain safe and secure environments for women’s football to flourish in a safe and protected spaces. This is why the CAF Safeguarding programme plays a pivotal role across all our efforts in developing the women’s game,” she added.
The CAF U-17 Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT) continues in Dar es Salaam, with more fixtures lined up over the next few days.
