STAFF WRITER
A group of former African internationals met in Morocco on Thursday to discuss the future of football on the continent.
The meeting, which The Amadeus Institute organised, brought together some of the continent’s most decorated players, including Emmanuel Adebayor, El Hadji Diouf, Kalusha Bwalya and Alex Song.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe also attended the high-level conference titled “Morocco within its continent: a South-South, win-win, active and united partnership – Football, a factor of African integration and global visibility for the Continent”.
The former players discussed a wide range of issues, including the need to improve the quality of African football, youth players’ development, and the game’s commercialisation.
They also called for more investment in African football by governments and businesses.
The event ran on the sidelines of the Under 23 African Cup of Nations being held in Morocco in the presence of 46 African FA Presidents and on the eve of the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Rabat.
It has brought together key players from the world of soccer, political decision-makers, experts and luminaries of African soccer, all committed to promoting South-South cooperation in Africa and an Africa that trusts Africa.
The conference was marked by constructive exchanges and enriching debates, underlining the Kingdom of Morocco’s ongoing commitment to multidimensional cooperation in Africa, driven by the Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, which advocates a more united, integrated and independent Africa.
Through over 50 Royal Visits to the continent and signing over 5000 bilateral agreements, the Kingdom has demonstrated its determination to strengthen ties with African nations, fostering economic cooperation, regional integration and sustainable development.
The conference underlined the crucial role of football as a tool for South-South cooperation to foster African integration, particularly in light of the 46 partnerships established by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to transfer skills and expertise and promote women’s soccer.
Speakers emphasised the role of football as a universal language that transcends borders and cultural differences, creates strong bonds between nations and fosters mutual understanding.
Soccer’s potential for development and integration was highlighted, underscoring the benefits of enhanced continental cooperation in this field.
The conference came up with a significant recommendation that underlines the importance of creating a Pan-African Think Tank on development through soccer.
This Think Tank would serve as a collaborative platform bringing together experts, political decision-makers and representatives of the sporting world to formulate policies and initiatives to promote the essential role of soccer in all its different forms in the development and influence of Africa.
The recommendations emanating from the Conference support the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco and African countries to promote sustainable cooperation, development of African talent, and capacity building.
