APO
African schools soccer competition to start in the Democratic Republic of Congo
FIFA (www.FIFA.com) and the African Union have agreed to launch a school football competition following a meeting in Kinshasa between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi, who is also the current president of the African Union (AU).
The two presidents, who had started discussions last week by videoconference, met at the Palais de la Nation in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to promote their productive conversations of the previous days, and a central aspect of their exchange was the need to use the power of football to improve. lives and take advantage of the possibilities it offers to instill positive values in young people.
On this issue, both the FIFA President and the AU President agreed to use the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) existing between the African Union, FIFA and CAF, to organize the football competition of schools in Africa , which will begin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. . To start the project, a protocol was signed this afternoon between FIFA and the Ministry of Sports and Leisure of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“President Tshisekedi is passionate about football and I am delighted that we can work together to give hope to all the children of Africa through football,” said the FIFA President at the end of the meeting. “Together, FIFA, AU, CAF and our member associations will develop competitions and trainings for youth through football, because football is more than a sport, it is a school of life. Through football, you can teach to respect opponents and the rules, learn to play as a team, win and lose. With this school championship we intend to further strengthen these values, which are already strong in Africa ”.
Subsequently, the FIFA President also had the opportunity to visit the offices of the Football Association of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FECOFA) and to meet with the President of FECOFA, Constant Omari, the Executive Committee of FECOFA and various representatives of the football community of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.