DR Congo–AS Monaco:a first step takenin youth development

AS Monaco’s expertise in developing young footballers was at the heart of three days of exchanges between Monaco’s coaching staff and Congolese coaches. Participants alternated between theory and practical sessions, supervised by Sébastien Muet, director of the Principality club’s academy.

Pleased with the participants’ commitment, the Monaco coach praised the quality of the exchanges.

“It was a short course, but a very instructive one. I congratulate everyone who made our stay possible. I met a group of passionate coaches and this experience brought us closer. I am pleased to have started a promising dynamic, but also frustrated, because the desire to keep going is already there.”

The training modules

Entitled “Advanced training for academy coaches: passing on high standards”, the programme aimed in particular to harmonise training methods in order to improve the coaching of young footballers. The work also covered drawing up an operational calendar, organising the next activities linked to preparing a national scouting plan, and the arrangements for young talents to spend time at AS Monaco’s academy.

1. Harmonise training methodsto improve the coaching of young footballers
2. Build an operational calendarfor the partnership’s next activities
3. Prepare a national scouting planto spot talent across the country
4. Organise stays for young talentsat AS Monaco’s academy

For the trainees, the initiative was an opportunity to build on what they already knew and to discover new teaching approaches.

“I discovered several coaching methods I did not know. The practical sessions helped me a lot. It is now up to us to pass this knowledge on to our young players to develop grassroots football.”

Government and FECOFA: a shared vision to sustain

The Ministry of Sports and Leisure and the Congolese Football Association (FECOFA), at the heart of the project, share a common ambition: to better prepare the young talents who will represent the country on the international stage. This goal was central to the speeches of Didier Budimbu, Minister of Sports and Leisure, Véronique Singa, fourth vice-president of FECOFA, and Médard Lusadusu, national technical director, at the closing ceremony.

The partnership notably provides for stronger training structures and better support for young players. Modernising sports medicine and developing video analysis are also among the prospects discussed. To turn these ambitions into reality, making academies more professional and putting lasting follow-up in place will be decisive.

The Congolese president at the closing ceremony

The presence of Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo at the closing ceremony marked this first stage of the partnership between the DRC and AS Monaco, developed under the tourism brand “RD Congo, cœur de l’Afrique”. The head of state handed participation certificates to the trainees before receiving a symbolic AS Monaco shirt.

SNA context · The head of state and sport

Félix Tshisekedi, sport as a lever

“I love football and I play sport. I can only use this discipline as soft power to position the DRC on the international stage.”

“Young people are important and we have a lot of talent to support,” he added that day. The training of academy coaches, the first stage of the partnership with AS Monaco, is part of this priority.

34medals for the DRC at the 2023 Jeux de la Francophonie in Kinshasa

52years of waiting before the Leopards returned to the World Cup

39players and staff members made knights of the National Order of the Leopard

1. April 2021

   He launches the renovation of the venues for the 9th Jeux de la Francophonie.

2. 28 July 2023

   He opens the Games at the Stade des Martyrs. At the closing, he pledges to “build on this success and the infrastructure left by these Games”.

3. April 2026

   He receives the Leopards after they qualify for the World Cup, a first since 1974: “Congo has regained its place.”

4. 17 June 2026

   He is at the stadium in Houston for Portugal–DR Congo (1–1), the Leopards’ first World Cup match.

5. 22 September 2026

   He makes 31 players and 8 staff members knights of the National Order of the Leopard.

6. 15 October 2026

   He presides over the closing of the DR Congo–AS Monaco course and personally hands the certificates to the coaches.

This cooperation is part of a broader ambition to develop Congolese football, backed by the President of the Republic. The objectives set under this partnership are part of a roadmap covering 2026-2030, during which the DRC intends to strengthen the training of young talents and improve their path to the top level.

SNA context

From the Stade du 20-Mai to AS Monaco

1. 1952

   The Stade Roi-Baudouin opens in Kinshasa. It becomes the Stade du 20-Mai in 1967, then the Stade Tata Raphaël in 1997.

2. 30 October 1974

   Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the 8th round: the “Rumble in the Jungle” takes place in this very stadium.

3. April 2022

   Sébastien Muet takes charge of the AS Monaco academy.

4. 24 June 2025

   The DRC and AS Monaco announce their partnership, running until 2028. “R.D. Congo, cœur de l’Afrique” appears on the shirt sleeve and on the academy kits.

5. 13–15 October 2026

   First advanced training course for academy coaches, at the Stade Tata Raphaël.

6. Next

   Talent scouting across the country and invitations for Congolese coaches and players to Monaco. “This was only a beginning,” Sébastien Muet said at the closing.

Results expected on the pitch

For the DRC, the challenge now is to deliver on the commitments made. The success of this cooperation will depend notably on implementing the national scouting plan, supporting academies and giving young talents the chance to access training suited to the demands of the top level.

AS Monaco’s expertise is a lever to improve coaching methods and give grassroots training more structure. The approaches passed on will still need to be adapted to local realities, with regular follow-up of the actions under way, so that this initiative produces lasting results for Congolese football.

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