FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, will headline a high-profile panel at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Strategy Conference in Cabo Verde from October 7 to 9. The conference will bring together tacticians from Africa's 54 Member Associations, football legends, and key industry stakeholders to review Africa's historic performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A record nine out of ten African participating nations advanced to the knockout stages, a significant milestone for African football.
The panel features several managers who drove Africa's success on the global stage, including Cabo Verde's national coach Bubista, Egypt's Hossam Hassan, Morocco's Mohamed Ouahbi, and DR Congo's Sébastien Desabre. Bubista will share insights on his team's heroic campaign, which captured global attention as the architect of Cabo Verde's fairytale debut at the finals. His experience will be valuable in evaluating the technical lessons learned from the 2026 tournament.
The conference will focus on finding ways to turn the continent's footballing progress into long-term infrastructure, developmental support, and sustained competitiveness ahead of the 2030 World Cup. The strategic agenda includes using the firsthand experiences of these coaches to evaluate the technical lessons learned from the 2026 tournament. This will involve high-level panel discussions and plenary sessions, some of which will be broadcast live via CAF TV.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup was a watershed moment for African football, with Morocco's Mohamed Ouahbi guiding the Atlas Lions to a stellar quarter-final finish. Egypt's Hossam Hassan led the Pharaohs to their first victory at a FIFA World Cup, stunning Argentina with a thrilling group match. Meanwhile, Sébastien Desabre masterminded DR Congo's triumphant return to the world stage after a 52-year absence.
The CAF conference aims to build on the success of the 2026 World Cup by translating it into sustainable growth for African football. The event will provide a platform for coaches and federation officials to share knowledge and develop strategies for future success. Administrative and technical strategy meetings will be held behind closed doors to facilitate open discussions.
The conference program includes a mix of panel discussions, plenary sessions, and behind-closed-doors meetings. While select sessions will be broadcast live via CAF TV, others will be restricted to ensure frank discussions. CAF has announced that the full broadcast schedule and program details will be released soon, providing more information on the conference proceedings.
The CAF Strategy Conference comes at a time when African football is experiencing significant growth and recognition. The 2026 World Cup success has raised expectations and hopes for the continent's future performance. With Arsène Wenger and other experienced coaches sharing their insights, the conference is expected to provide valuable guidance on how to sustain and build on this momentum.
Key points
- Arsène Wenger to headline CAF conference on 2026 World Cup success
- Conference to focus on translating success into sustainable growth for African football
- Nine out of ten African participating nations advanced to the knockout stages of the 2026 World Cup
