National Sports Commission Throws Its Weight Behind Maiden Africa Athletics Academy Under-16 International Football Tournament

National Sports Commission Throws Its Weight Behind Maiden Africa Athletics Academy Under-16 International Football Tournament

The Africa Athletics Academy has unveiled plans for its maiden international U-16 football tournament, an ambitious grassroots football development initiative designed to bring together emerging talents from across Africa and create opportunities for them to progress towards professional football.

The organisers described the competition as one of Africa’s major grassroots football initiatives, with participating countries expected to include Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among other African nations.

The competition will begin with zonal qualifiers from August 10 to 31, 2026, followed by the national championship from September 12 to 26. The international finals are scheduled to hold from October 24 to November 1, 2026, at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

The tournament has received government support through Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC), whose Chairman, Shehu Dikko, attended the unveiling in Abuja.
Dikko assured the organisers of an enabling environment and government collaboration, describing grassroots sports development as a key component of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s sports economy.
“It’s a grassroot development,we believe the way we’re running the sports commission under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, is that every sport has its own opportunity to grow irrespective of either elite or grassroot sport.We are excited about,new coordinate with and support them”.

He stressed the importance of giving every sporting discipline opportunities to grow at both grassroots and elite levels, adding that the Commission would work with the organisers and other stakeholders to support the successful implementation of the programme.

Talent discovery and development
According to the organisers, led by the Director of 3AS, Dr Dawuda Gowon, the tournament was conceived to address gaps in youth football development by creating a structured platform where young players can showcase their abilities before scouts, clubs and other football stakeholders.
Dr Gowon assured that ” they should expect integrity and we’ll be fair to all, we’re not going to hide under anything,if your skills are there, all rules are followed, everyone has a chance”.

The organisers also pledged to ensure integrity, transparency and fairness throughout the competition, with players expected to progress based on their football abilities and compliance with established rules.

The Nigerian selection process will involve participation from the country’s six geopolitical zones, with outstanding players emerging from the rigorous scouting and competition process expected to converge to form a central national team.

A similar talent-identification structure will be implemented across the participating African countries.

The African Athlete Academies Arena (3As) tournament is planned as a biennial competition, with the initiative seeking to establish a sustainable pathway for identifying and nurturing Africa’s next generation of football stars.

The CEO/MD of 3As, Edwin Ademola Ademola, expressed confidence that sustained investment in grassroots football could strengthen Africa’s prospects on the global football stage.
He said developing players from a young age would help build stronger talent pipelines capable of contributing to Africa’s ambitions at future FIFA World Cup tournaments.

The initiative is also being positioned as more than a football competition, with stakeholders highlighting its potential economic impact.
Among those who attended the Abuja unveiling were former NFF Technical Director and assistant coach under Clemens Westerhof, Bitrus Bewarang; Jos East Local Government Chairman, Markus Usaini; and Fati Eunice Ibrahim.
They commended the initiative, noting that a structured grassroots football programme could stimulate sports tourism, fashion, entertainment and the wider creative economy, while attracting investment and creating employment opportunities.

The organisers said collaboration between government, the private sector and football stakeholders across Africa would be essential to transforming the tournament into a sustainable youth-development platform.
The competition is powered by MTN, with the partnership expected to support the organisers’ efforts to redefine grassroots football development and expand opportunities for young African players.

With Nigeria scheduled to host the national championship and international finals, expectations are high that the tournament will further strengthen the country’s position in grassroots sports development while providing a platform for discovering and nurturing Africa’s future football stars.