Gianni Infantino stressed the important role that Africa plays in global football
Thursday, during a call that preceded the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), AU Chairperson H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa and FIFA (www.FIFA.com) President Gianni Infantino spoke of the positive momentum generated between both organisations in the past two years as well as the strong institutional bonds forged between the AU and FIFA for the benefit of the African people.Reviewing the progress made since both organisations signed
a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2019, the two leaders discussed
various topics, including plans to boost African Football with a particular
focus on infrastructure (stadia, football pitches), football academies and
competitions, but also on the fight against match manipulation, as well as
safety and security at football matches across Africa.
The joint #SafeHome campaign from August 2020 between the AU
and FIFA, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the
Confederation of African Football (CAF), where the four organisations addressed
the important issue of domestic violence, which was exacerbated by
COVID-19-related lockdowns and stay-at-home measures by launching a successful
awareness-raising campaign is a further testimony of the close collaboration
between the AU and FIFA. A number of Africa-based FIFA Legends supported the
campaign via video awareness messages which were distributed on social and
traditional media. Both the AU Chairperson and the FIFA President also
recognised the opportunities that education through football can bring through
the FIFA Football for Schools programme which is being coordinated globally via
the FIFA Foundation.
Having visited 35 African countries in the last few years,
Gianni Infantino stressed the important role that Africa plays in global
football, and how that needs to be strengthened in future. This role has been
supported with strong investments via the FIFA Forward programme which has
already delivered close to 300 projects across the continent.
The rollout of the FIFA COVID-19 Relief Plan, supporting
football across Africa during the pandemic, has also been significant and
continues to play an important role to keep football alive in the continent.
Related to COVID-19, vaccination processes will also be
crucial in the months ahead. In this respect, the FIFA President reiterated his
support for fair access to vaccines for all, a message that he had passed to a
global audience earlier this week at the WHO headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland, in the presence of the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus.
The FIFA President thanked the AU Chairperson for their
continued support, and assured his AU counterpart that the strong relationship
forged between both organisations in the past two years will continue when
Félix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will
assume the role of African Union Chairperson for a one-year term during the
aforementioned Assembly, which takes place on 6 and 7 February 2021.
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