Recently inaugurated in Nouakchott, FIFA’s Talent Academy is the first of a series of similar structures that the world football governing body plans to launch across Africa.
The launch of FIFA’s academy in Mauritania is part of the Talent Development Programme, one of the organization’s flagship initiatives aimed at supporting young football talents worldwide.
FIFA Talent Academies assist member federations in identifying and nurturing the skills of young players.
In a video message for the occasion, FIFA President Gianni Infantino highlighted that the role of these talent academies—set to reach 75 by 2027—is to provide children, regardless of their social background, with the opportunity to play football and develop their abilities. He emphasized that the new academy would play a crucial role in the growth of football in Mauritania, praising the country’s progress in the sport and its infrastructure development.
The academy’s inauguration ceremony was attended by FIFA officials, presidents of African football federations—including Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation—Mauritanian government ministers, as well as political and diplomatic figures, such as Morocco’s ambassador to Mauritania, Hamid Chabar. The event also marked the commencement of expansion works at the Cheikha Ould Bedia Stadium, which will see its capacity increase to 16,000 seats.
The occasion provided an opportunity for African football federation presidents to discuss strengthening cooperation to further develop football across the continent.
In this context, Lekjaa met on Monday with the President of the Mauritanian Football Federation, Ahmed Ould Yahya, to explore ways to enhance cooperation between the Moroccan and Mauritanian federations in football development at both national and continental levels.
Also present at the event were key FIFA officials, including Director of Football Development Steven Martens, Head of Performance Development Ulf Schott, Global Women’s Football Development Director Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Regional Director for Africa Gelson Fernandes, and CAF Secretary-General Véron Mosengo-Omba.
