FIFA to Construct Technical Centre in Mali

By Ahmed Rahma

The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) will be financing the construction of a technical centre at Kabala, near the Malian capital of Bamako.

The world football governing body will also implement a Technical Support Programme (TSP) in order to strengthen the National Technical Directorate of the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT).

Last week, a committee from FIFA and the French Football Federation (FFF) paid a visit to Mali to assess the project.

The committee consisted of the FIFA Regional Director for West Africa, El Hadj Wack Diop, the consultant in charge of the TSP for the FFF, Ludovic Debru, a member of the FFF technical management, the FIFA Regional Technical Consultant for West and Central Africa, Dominique Niyonzima, and the FIFA/FFF TSP expert at FEMAFOOT, Malik Boulegroune.

El Hadj Diop, a Senegalese, recalled that Malian football has gone through a relatively long crisis and as an umbrella organisation, the role of FIFA was first and foremost to help Mali emerge from the crisis.

“The concerted development plan that we agreed on has resulted in a strategic document, which has been validated.

“It requires a whole process that will culminate in the creation of a national academy that will be housed in a quality technical centre,” he said.