By: Madi Senghore
The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) has received approval from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to host the CAF A Coaching Diploma in The Gambia for the first time.
The approval marks a major milestone in Gambian football development, placing the GFF among a select group of CAF Member Associations authorised to deliver the continent’s highest coaching qualification.
The development aligns with the CAF Coaching Convention introduced in 2019, which aims to standardise and improve coaching education across Africa.
The GFF’s progress toward the milestone began in 2021 with the approval to conduct CAF C License courses. The Federation subsequently delivered CAF C courses in 2021 and between 2025 and 2026, before advancing to the CAF B Diploma level in 2024. Its first CAF B course was completed in 2025, with another currently ongoing in 2026.
Following the fulfilment of CAF requirements, the Federation has now been granted permission to organise the CAF A Diploma course, the highest level of coaching certification under CAF.
GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo described the approval as a historic achievement and a fulfilment of commitments made under his administration’s 2022–2026 agenda, aimed at improving coach education within the country.
The CAF A Diploma is designed for elite-level coaches working with top youth, senior club, and national teams. It qualifies holders to serve as head coaches in national teams and clubs participating in CAF competitions.
The inaugural programme will run over six months, comprising 240 hours of coursework across six modules, in addition to a final assessment. A cohort of 25 candidates will be selected for the course.
Training will cover areas including tactics, leadership and management, anatomy and physiology, sports science and nutrition, teaching methodology, Laws of the Game, and practical coaching. Participants will also complete a mandatory 40-hour field internship.
The programme is expected to begin in July 2026 and conclude in January 2027, with application details for pre-entry assessments to be announced.
GFF Technical Director Sang John Ndong said the approval followed years of compliance with CAF standards and sustained efforts to strengthen coach education structures.