Recruitment is a key aspect of a football club’s success, yet only a small number of clubs globally approach the process sustainably. In January 2026, almost €2 billion was spent on international transfers in professional men’s football, according to FIFA’s transfer systems report. This underlines the scale of the transfer market in the world. But where does Africa fit in all this?

In the FIFA Global Transfer Report of 2021, no African member association featured in the top 25. With scouting networks as global as ever, African clubs are a key part of this network, but are simultaneously at risk of missing out on top talents for a number of reasons. Zooming in further on transfer movements within the continent, do the clubs benefit from the vast numbers of young talents available?

One of the biggest challenges facing African clubs is not a lack of talent, but the difficulty of identifying and monitoring it consistently. Unlike in many European countries, where youth competitions are well structured and extensive performance data is readily available, many African leagues have limited access to video footage, statistical analysis and centralised scouting databases.

Travel costs and varying competition structures also make it difficult for scouts to cover multiple regions efficiently. As a result, recruitment often depends on personal networks, recommendations and short tournament performances rather than long-term player monitoring. These methods can still uncover exceptional talent, but they can also increase the likelihood of promising players being overlooked or leaving the continent before local clubs have the opportunity to recruit them.

Below, we’ll examine and explore different solutions, some of which have already been implemented with great success, to improve African clubs’ scouting.

School Football

A small number of academies on the continent have been able to create optimal conditions for player development, creating pathways in the process for opportunities within first-team environments. At the same time, it is well documented that academies are challenging to run in Africa, as they are costly and often struggle for basics such as equipment and video technology. However, a lack of academies in some countries has led to the growth of school football, making them a key stepping stone for players to not only showcase their talents, but also to be discovered by club scouts.

There are clubs who have benefited from this partnership already, for example Vipers SC in Uganda and St Mary’s School Kitende, and have produced several household names, including Dennis Onyango, Farouk Miya and Allan Okello. Yet, this largely remains an unexplored territory in terms of partnerships between clubs and schools.

Feeder Clubs

Another pathway that could be beneficial is the partnership between the CAF Champions League elite (Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, etc) and smaller clubs with lesser resources competing in leagues that produce large volumes of young players. A number of leagues on the continent have been good for the development of young talent. For example, the top tiers in Mali, Senegal and the Gambia, just to name a few.

The concept of feeder clubs works especially well where there is a lack of youth leagues or youth competitions which bring together the best young talents on a national or regional scale playing against each other.

These partnerships can also reduce the financial risk associated with recruitment. Rather than competing for established players in expensive transfer markets, elite clubs can monitor prospects over an extended period before making a move. In return, feeder clubs benefit through transfer fees, loan arrangements, coaching support and improved visibility for their players. Such relationships create a more sustainable football ecosystem in which both clubs have aligned incentives to develop young talent instead of relying on short-term recruitment strategies.

Youth/Feeder Leagues

Despite the great challenge of academy football on the continent, one country has been head and shoulders above the rest in the talent-production pipeline in recent years: South Africa. The DStv Diski Challenge, better known as DDC, has produced a significant number of top South African talents — more than 350 players — who have gone on to showcase their talents not just nationally but also on the international stage. Players such as Lyle Foster, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, and Teboho Mokoena, just to name a few, made their name in the DDC and went on to greater heights in their careers.

Oftentimes, the league has acted as a resourceful pool of talent for the Betway Premiership — South Africa’s top tier — with players getting regular opportunities in the first team after excelling at youth level.

To put the DDC’s success into numerical context, half of South Africa’s U-17 and U-20 2025 AFCON squads were selected from DDC teams, with the U-20s going on to win the continental showpiece. Additionally, 8 DDC alumni featured for South Africa at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

This case study is a great example of what happens when there is intentional investment into youth football with a long-term vision, and a concept which other countries can look to replicate to enhance scouting opportunities for young players.

Conclusion

That talent is abundant on the continent is not in doubt. However, the opportunities for young players to be seen and show what they can do need to be maximised as much as possible, enhancing the football ecosystem as a result and ensuring that African clubs improve their sustainability.

To read more from the author, Jeremy Zaja, check out these two articles on his Medium page dedicated to reviewing the Kenyan Premier League season through the eyes of an analyst, and analysing how Kenyan clubs should rethink their recruitment strategies.