FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, to discuss, among other things, FIFA's ongoing commitment to investing in the development of soccer in Africa.
The meeting, which took place in New York - where both are attending the 77th General Assembly of the United Nations - came seven months after the capital of DR Congo, Kinshasa was the scene of the inaugural edition of the African School Champions Cup.
The program began when - in February 2019 - FIFA signed a memorandum of understanding with the DR Congo Football Federation and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to organize school soccer tournaments in the country of 90 million people. It was then extended to other countries with the support of the Confederation of African Football.
The Kinshasa competition, which took place on February 19-20, 2022, and attracted more than 12,000 spectators on the opening day, featured school teams from six countries. This is one of many initiatives designed to help strengthen global competitiveness, one of the eleven pillars of FIFA President Gianni Infantino's Vision 2020-23.
The meeting allowed President Infantino to review the success of the tournament and discuss future opportunities for soccer development in DR Congo and the entire African continent.
FIFA in recent years has embarked on accelerating the development of football on the African continent with much emphasis on grassroot levels. Through the voice of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, stronger clubs and talent development should be primordial for African football.
