Cabo Verde, a small Atlantic archipelago that made history at the FIFA World Cup 2026, will host some of African football's most influential decision-makers when the CAF Strategy Conference convenes in Santa Maria, Sal Island from 7 to 9 October 2026.

The conference brings together Presidents of CAF's 54 Member Associations, national team coaches, technical directors, and international football experts. Their collective focus: examining Africa's performances at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and charting the path the continent must take towards 2030.

A debut to remember

Cabo Verde's selection as host is deeply connected to what the country achieved this year. The Blue Sharks qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history and advanced from the group stage on their debut — an extraordinary feat for a nation of roughly 35,000 residents on Sal Island alone.

Their campaign came to an end only after a gripping 3-2 defeat by Argentina in extra time during the Round of 32 — the defending champions needed every minute to eliminate a side that had arrived in the tournament as complete newcomers.

CAF has cited those performances as a central reason for choosing Cabo Verde as the conference setting. The Blue Sharks embodied a core theme of the gathering: that sustained success in international football is built on organisation, technical identity, and clear planning — not on population size or financial muscle alone.

Sal Island and Santa Maria

Cabo Verde is an archipelago of ten islands — nine inhabited — situated roughly 455 kilometres off the West African coast. The islands span a combined area of about 4,033 square kilometres and are divided into the northern Barlavento group and the southern Sotavento group.

Sal belongs to the Barlavento group. Covering approximately 215 square kilometres, it is among the flatter and more arid islands in the chain. Its name derives from its historic role in salt production, and today it ranks among Cabo Verde's most prominent international tourism destinations.

The conference itself will take place in Santa Maria, on the southern tip of Sal. The town is renowned for its long white-sand beaches, turquoise Atlantic waters, and a warm, stable climate throughout the year — conditions that make it a practical and welcoming venue for officials and experts travelling from across Africa and beyond.

Africa's strongest World Cup yet

The broader backdrop to the conference is historic in its own right. A record ten African nations competed at the FIFA World Cup 2026, with nine of them reaching the knockout phase — the continent's most powerful collective showing at any World Cup to date.

The CAF Strategy Conference will dissect what produced those results and what changes are needed in coaching, player development, football administration, and long-term technical planning to sustain — and improve on — that performance at the 2030 tournament.

Cabo Verde, then, offers far more than a scenic Atlantic setting. A country that entered 2026 having never appeared at a World Cup now opens its doors to the architects of African football's future, as they work to convert the lessons of one historic tournament into an even stronger plan for the next.