Inspire Sports Academy runner-up in NextGen Africa Cup final

Inspire Sports Academy finished runners-up at the 2026 NextGen Africa Cup on Friday after losing 1-0 to Mali’s Africa Foot, an official development partner of FC Barcelona.

The academy’s international football leadership includes Malawian sports executive James Woods and academy head Francis Ogette.

Nigeria’s Inspire had won its three earlier matches, scoring six goals without conceding. They included a 2-0 win over Benfica Campus Côte d’Ivoire, an academy affiliated with SL Benfica.

The Nigerian side opened with a 2-0 win over Rising Stars on November 10, beat Wazy FC of Issia by the same score on November 11, and recorded a further 2-0 win over Benfica Campus on November 12 to reach the final.

Africa Foot signed a five-year partnership with Barcelona in October 2024, offering young African players a route into the Spanish club’s development structures. One of its graduates, Ibrahim Diarra, joined Barcelona in December 2024.

Earlier this year, Inspire won the Mobile Cup in Nigeria and played at Sweden’s Gothia Cup.

The academy has attracted interest from European clubs, with players attending trials in Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, France, Israel, Serbia and the Czech Republic. Clubs in France, Belgium, Turkey, the UAE and Germany have also shown interest.

Woods said the team was disappointed to lose.

“We came here to win the tournament, so naturally we are disappointed with the result. We won three matches, scored six goals without conceding and reached the final against a very strong Malian side. The boys deserve enormous credit for their performances,” he said.

Ogette said he was proud of the players despite the defeat. “We wanted to bring the trophy home, and losing the final is disappointing. But I am extremely proud of the players and the commitment they have shown throughout this competition,” he said