Nigeria Revives CAF A-License Coaching Course After 9-Year

Nigeria has resumed the CAF A-License coaching programme after a nine-year hiatus, with 25 top-flight coaches beginning intensive theoretical and practical training in Abuja.

Key Highlights:

• 25 Nigerian coaches have begun CAF A-License training after a 9-year break.
• The course aims to improve coaching standards in Nigeria.
• 14 young referees have been selected for the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Tournament.
• Nigeria’s Flamingos will face Niger in their opening match.
• The Flamingos are preparing for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

The two-module course, which commenced in the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, marks Nigeria’s return to the CAF A-License Convention and represents the country’s first organisation of the advanced coaching programme since 2017.

The participants comprise coaches from Nigeria’s various national teams as well as clubs competing in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL).

The first module will run for five days, while the second and final module is scheduled to take place next month.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said the acting General Secretary, Emmanuel Ikpeme, is expected to formally declare the first module open on Wednesday.

Despite the long gap in organising the CAF A-License course, the NFF said it has continued to conduct coaching programmes at D, C and B levels.

In 2025, the federation also organised an exclusive CAF C-License programme for women, delivered through three modules over a three-month period.

The revival of the CAF A-License course is expected to strengthen the technical capacity of Nigerian coaches and further improve the quality of coaching across the domestic and national-team levels.

Meanwhile, the West African Football Union Zone B (WAFU-B) has selected 14 referees from its young talents refereeing course to officiate at the second edition of the WAFU-B U-17 Girls Tournament in Côte d’Ivoire.

Two referees were selected from each of the seven countries in the zone following the training programme held at the Ghanaian Centre of Excellence in Prampram from March 21 to 25, 2026.

The initiative is designed to provide young match officials with practical opportunities while encouraging and developing the next generation of referees in the region.

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Nigeria’s U-17 women’s team, the Flamingos, have also arrived in Abidjan ahead of the tournament, which will take place in Yamoussoukro from September 15 to 28.

Coach Hakeem Busari selected 20 players for the competition, which will serve as part of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.

Following Benin Republic’s withdrawal from the WAFU-B tournament, the Flamingos will now face Niger Republic in their opening match on Wednesday instead of Ghana.

Nigeria and Ghana are among Africa’s four representatives at this year’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, alongside Kenya and Zambia.

The World Cup will be held in Morocco from October 17 to November 8, with Nigeria drawn in Group B alongside North Korea, Puerto Rico and Poland.