FIFA and the African Union have agreed to launch a schools football tournament following a meeting in Kinshasa between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Félix Tshisekedi, who is also Former Chairman of the African Union (AU).
The two presidents, who had begun talks last week by video conference, met at the Palais de la Nation in the DRC capital to advance their outcome talks in the previous days, and at the heart of the exchange was the need to harness the power of football to improve lives and to take advantage of the opportunities it offers to establish positive values in young people.
On this topic, both the FIFA President and the AU Chair agreed to use the framework of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the African Union, FIFA and CAF, to compete in school football. organized across Africa, which will begin in the DRC. To kick-start the project, a protocol was signed this afternoon between FIFA and the DRC Ministry of Sport and Recreation.
“President Tshisekedi is very much in favor of football, and I am delighted that we can work together to bring hope to children across Africa thanks to football,” the FIFA President concluded. meetings. “Together, FIFA, AU, CAF and our member associations will develop competitions and coaching for young people through football, because football is more than a sport, it is a school of life. Through football, you can teach respect to enemies and rules, learning how to play as a team, how to win and what to lose. With the competition of these schools we intend to make those values, which are already strong in Africa, even stronger. “
Afterwards, the FIFA President also had the opportunity to visit the offices of the DR Congo Football Association (FECOFA) and meet with FECOFA President Constant Omari, the FECOFA executive committee and several representatives from the DR Congo football community.