The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
Fifa have pledged to release $1 billion towards developing football infrastructure in Africa.
At the recently-ended symposium on infrastructure development in African football held at the lustrous Mohammed Vi Complex in Rabat, Morocco, Fifa president Gianni Infantino pledged the world governing body would build at least one stadium meeting Fifa standards in every African country.
“Fifa will donate $1 billion so that every African country can build a world-class stadium,” vowed Infantino.
While gross infrastructural deficit has been a big dent on Africa, including Zimbabwe where only one stadium is approved to host international games, Morocco became a marvel for over 200 delegates that descended on the Mohammed Vi Complex.
The Royal Moroccan Federation of Football hosted the infrastructure symposium and Caf executive meeting at the continent’s biggest high performance centre, which features world-class equipment, leading sports science equipment. Without a doubt, the north African country, ranked 43rd globally at the recent Fifa monthly ranking, is gearing towards developing high-achieving football stars.
The Facility, worth $65 million, spells out the north African country’s bid to become the premier sports mecca in Africa.
Zimbabwe Football Association president Felton Kamambo believes the north Africans are Fast-gaining momentum to build sports infrastructure to bid for top-tier events.
“They’ve done exceptionally well to put together a Facility like the Mohammed Vi, it’ll go a long way in aiding the development of football talent,” he said.
Inside Mohammed VI Complex
The same cannot be said of Zimbabwe where a lot of football Facilities are in a deplorable condition after years of neglecting maintenance work.
Morocco’s state-of-the-art facility extends over a 30-hectare site and is used by all national teams to prepare for competitions as well as Visiting teams.
Botswana Fa president, Mclean Letshwiti, who, together with other delegates, was accommodated at the Facility, which can house up to 650 guests, said the development was a sign that the Moroccan government takes the game seriously.
“It’s a world class Facility, it shows that the nation of Morocco takes football seriously. This is part of economic development.
“They have availed it to African countries. I’m very proud of the Facility and the generosity of Morocco to allow all African countries to make use of it,” he said.
The Facility boasts four natural turf grass football fields, three artificial turf fields, a covered football field, a hybrid football field, a reathletisation room that can accommodate futsal matches, an outdoor Olympic swimming pool, two tennis courts and a Beach Soccer field.
In a statement, Morocco’s football mother body, said the development was a sign of the King’s commitment to provide the highest quality of training for the country’s football stars.
“It reflects the high level of commitment by the King for sports and youth development and his desire to ensure that national football professionals have all the conditions for success and success so that they can represent their country as they should,” the federation said.
The massive complex also includes a new generation Sports and Performance Medicine Centre that meets Fifa standards and has rooms for physiotherapy, stress testing, dentistry, ophthalmology, trauma, psychology, podiatry, nutritional medicine, radiology, ultrasound, electrotherapy, bone densitometry, cryotherapy and a mobile emergency medical unit.
It also houses catering and relaxation areas, a 221-seat auditorium built to be as flexible as possible to accommodate various events (conferences or film screenings), as well as administrative buildings.
The federation believes opening the Facility up for Visiting national teams will go a long way promoting national tourism.
“The opening of this sports building to foreign teams will also allow it to establish itself as a lever for the development of national tourism and to promote the Kingdom’s international influence.”
South Africa Football Association president Danny Jordaan said it was a model they would want to follow once Fifa release the funds.
“This is an extraordinary Facility, the government invested millions of US dollars in this project, you can see the quality of this — the stand-alone hotel,” Jordan said.
He added: “We have our own technical centre (in Durban). (When Fifa gives us the $20 million) We will argue with Fifa that we don’t need another stadium but we want to invest in our national technical centre. We will look at the second province to build another technical centre because ultimately we want to have technical centres in each province.”
Jordan, like Kamambo, believes the establishment of such Facilities will aide development of players.
“The path to global competitiveness is to have players in academies across the country,” he added.
South Africa, according to Jordan, has 65 young players across Europe.
Morocco is going the same route, establishing more training centres. They are building five federal training centres in Saidia, Ifrane, Ksar Lakbir, Beni Mellal and Agadir.
Under the programme, 138 artificial grass football pitches have been renovated and 13 natural grass pitches set up.
