FIFA has launched the third FIFA Football for Schools program in Africa at the South African Football Association (SAFA) Technical Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Fatimata Sidibe, who is the program director, said the initiative would help make football more accessible to learners around the world by incorporating football activities into the education system.
The program is being rolled out in all 211 countries affiliated to FIFA with Mauritania and Djibouti being the first countries on the continent to benefit from the program.
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“We have the technical part, how to play football, developed by the FIFA technical inside the FIFA, we have also the digital one Sportrador which is our partner which develops an app and we can download this up in every country where we launch the school and we have equipment-we have five-million balls the size-4 for children.
“We are in partnership with Adidas, we are distributing and there is also the financial incentive that will to ration-very small one just to help to launch the program,” she noted.
Present at the launch in Johannesburg was Côte d’Ivoire, FC Barcelona and Manchester City great Yaya Toure who is an ambassador of the Program.
Toure lauded the program noting that such initiatives were what the continent requires to take football to the next level.
“It is welcoming because it took a long time to arrive in Africa. It should have arrived in Africa long ago.
“I believe we have the quality and good young players in Africa but if they are not well surrounded by all they need, to be among the top and well developed in the football industry, it’s difficult.
“Some of our people, I don’t want to mention their names, the politicians and people at the top, have been saying and they also write on paper what we should do, which is good, but in a practical way we have never seen anything and that is the issue with it.
“I think the initiative with FIFA now is what I have been waiting for a very long time and that is why I am so happy to be part and joining. We are looking forward to it and it will be something serious,” Yaya Toure stated.
Boys and girls ages four to 14 from schools across South Africa will benefit from the implementation of the programme.
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