A formal ceremony, trophies, medals, smiles, applause, enthusiastic crowds and some fine football: the finals of the FIFA Football for Schools championship, held at the Barthélemy Boganda Stadium in the capital Bangui on 7 November, provided a fitting end to the pilot phase launched in the Central African Republic in September 2025.

Seven girls' and seven boys' teams competed in the finals. The boys' title went to the Damara sub-prefecture school, who beat Sibut, while Saint-Jean de Yapélé School overcame Koudoukou to claim the girls' crown. Only two teams lifted trophies on the day, but their success was shared by every school that had taken part over the previous months.

The finals were about more than results, though. They marked the culmination of 15 months of joint work to make football a real force for education and personal development among girls and boys across the country. Teachers, pupils, government officials, the Central African Republic Football Federation and several FIFA departments all pulled together to help raise the standard of physical education in schools, and their efforts are already paying off.

Behind this inaugural school championship lies a far bigger ambition: making football a permanent fixture of school life across the Central African Republic. To that end, the FIFA Football for Schools 360 pilot project rests on four complementary pillars – bringing football into the curriculum, registering participants via FIFA Connect, training teachers and running school competitions.

The first task was to establish football as a genuine educational tool, not just a game played at clubs. A three-way agreement between FIFA, the FCF and the education authorities made it possible to write football into the school curriculum – a crucial step in giving the project a long-term future and letting children play where they already spend their days.

Teachers are just as central to the scheme. Trained to run football sessions and pass on the values of the game, they are a vital link in making the project last, and some have already begun climbing the coaching ladder themselves. The idea is to build expertise locally so that schools can carry on the activities once the pilot phase is over.

Alongside the teacher training, participants are registered via FIFA Connect, a centralised digital system that allows FIFA Member Associations (MAs) to register and manage all their stakeholders.

The fourth pillar is school competitions. The F4S 360 pathway is organised in tiers, with schools playing in local and regional rounds before coming together at the national finals. Competition therefore becomes a driving force for participation and improvement, as well as a chance for children to put the values and life skills they learn in the programme into practice.

Used throughout the tournament, the blue card was a great example of this. Shown to players for positive behaviour on the pitch, it put the spotlight on respect and fair play – two of the core values that Football for Schools aims to instil in young participants.

With the first pilot phase complete, the outlook is encouraging. Numerous schools have already approached the FCF about joining the scheme, a clear sign of the enthusiasm it has generated. FCF President Célestin Yanindji and the Minister of Youth and Sports, Rodolphe Héritier Bonheur Doneng Wazoumon, share this ambition and want to see the project rolled out to more schools. Both attended the finals on 7 November to celebrate what has been achieved and help keep the momentum going.

With government support and plenty of demand from schools, the FCF is well placed to build upon this start and take the initiative further. The aim now is to extend the programme's reach and make football a lasting source of learning and personal development for children across the Central African Republic.