For 750 young fans, WAFCON 2026 offered more than a chance to watch football. They also got to walk onto the pitch with some of Africa’s top women players and learn basic money skills. Visa, an official CAF partner, brought the children into its Player Escort Programme during the tournament. The programme was held across the host cities.
The children also took part in financial literacy workshops. The sessions covered basic money skills and were organised with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication, the Center of HRH Princess Lalla Meryem, the SOS Village Network and local youth football academies.
Visa has run the Player Escort Programme at previous African football tournaments. More than 1,100 children have taken part in earlier Africa Cup of Nations events.
The company said its WAFCON programme aims to connect young people with women’s football while helping them build useful financial skills.
“When you empower women, you uplift entire communities. By pairing the inspiration of the pitch with the practical power of financial literacy, we are actively investing in the confidence, equality, and leadership of Africa’s future,” said Sami Romdhane, Visa’s country manager.
Visa has worked with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on youth programmes, women’s football and major tournaments. Its agreement with CAF also covers the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the African Schools Football Championship for boys and girls.
Visa also provides digital payment services at CAF competitions. During the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, the company supported digital ticketing and payments across 52 matches in six stadiums.
African football has also grown into a major global business. The 2021 men’s Africa Cup of Nations attracted more than 600m viewers across 180 countries, according to CAF. The 2023 edition reached about 2bn viewers through 110 broadcast partners.
Social media has added to that reach. CAF figures show that content from the 2023 tournament generated 2.1bn impressions and 3.6bn TikTok views.
CAF expects the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco to generate $192.6m in total revenue, including $126m from sponsorships.
