FIFA launches football Talent Development Programme in Egypt
Former arsenal manager and FIFA Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, has introduced a FIFA backed talent development programme in Cairo, Egypt, reports NewsCentral on 10th February.
This initiative is intended to improve the quality of football coaching, develop and support young talent, and generally develop football infrastructure across Egypt.
The project is part of FIFA’s broader strategy to help national football federations maximise their resources, improve coaching, and foster player development.
During his visit to the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) headquarters on February 7th, Wenger engaged with officials to explore the country’s football structure and its future potential. The programme will commence with a scouting and training initiative, designed to equip local football experts with the skills needed to identify and support emerging talent across all governorates, including in rural areas.
The visit was followed by an official training workshop held by FIFA to provide educational material to EFA coaches.
Wegner said of Egypt that “the environment here is highly suitable for football competition” and elaborated that “the strongest clubs in the world are in Europe, but we want to see world-class clubs in every part of the world. That is part of our mission.”
Sport has often been cited as a contributor to economic growth, and sights have been set on nurturing latent football talent in Africa, particularly in the aftermath of Morocco’s immense success in the 2022 World Cup, where it emerged as the first African country to reach the semi-finals.
Despite undoubtedly containing sporting talent, African countries often face obstacles in securing funding for nurturing teams. Corruption is often rife within sports in developing nations, which leads to a lack of trust in sporting infrastructure.
FIFA’s steps towards developing football as a sport in Egypt, which is already working towards economic growth, spell out a net good for general development in the country, and in the African continent as a whole.
NewsCentral, Africa Renewal
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