CAF organizes its “Meeting with Coaches and Captains” as part of its mission to strengthen women’s Football

Tuesday 12th November 2024 12:49 AM

CAF held this Monday in Casablanca the “Meeting with Coaches and Captains”, an event which takes place as part of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco.

This workshop is part of a dialogue process launched by CAF in 2018, which aims to allow coaches, captains and managers to express their thoughts and recommendations to advance women’s Football on the African continent.

Eight leading teams were present this year, including ASFAR (Morocco), FC Masar (Egypt), Edo Queens (Nigeria), CBE (Ethiopia), Aigles de la Médina (Senegal), Mamelodi Sundowns, the University of the Western Cape (South Africa) and TP Mazembe (DRC).

Madam Kanizat Ibrahim, fifth Vice-President of CAF and President of the Organizing Committee for Women’s Football, inaugurated the session, underlining the reinforced commitment of CAF to promote the discipline: “This tournament, as well as the projects in course, stems from financial investments and structural support aimed at promoting the empowerment of women in sports at all levels. However, all this would be in vain if we did not take the time to grasp the realities on the ground. This is why your contribution is of great importance. By working together, we can ensure that the development of women’s football is sustainable and meets the needs of those who live and breathe this sport every day.

The meeting represents the latest in a series of sessions titled “Meet Our Coaches and Captains”, which are traditionally held alongside major women’s tournaments such as the CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. . The recent sessions yielded valuable recommendations, implemented by CAF during the 2023-2024 cycle, leading to notable improvements in areas such as infrastructure, media coverage and the professionalization of the leagues.

Meskerem Tadesse Goshime, head of women’s football at CAF, insisted on the importance of practical feedback: “Having a direct exchange with the teams allows us to develop programs that correspond to real needs. This continuous dialogue has already led to positive results in recent years, such as greater participation of teams in major tournaments, the creation of new competitions, and the establishment of a coaching license dedicated to women. Our objective is to clearly identify the existing challenges in order to resolve them. “respond to them with appropriate support and development initiatives.”

Raul Chipenda, head of technical development at CAF, encouraged the participants to discuss their successes and the difficulties they encounter without reservation. During this session, participants highlighted aspects that require continuous improvement, such as strengthening training infrastructures, increasing media coverage, as well as establishing more sponsorship and financing networks. solid. Coaches and captains shared stories of how even modest adjustments had a beneficial effect on their leagues.

CAF I Division de la Communication