“I was delighted to speak with AU Chairperson who is a
passionate football fan, and as FIFA and the AU have been working together for
some time now, I am sure that under Félix Tshisekedi’s leadership our
organisations will find ways to reinforce our joint efforts in many areas such
as our ‘Football for Schools’ education project, the fight against match
manipulation and any form of corruption, as well as safety and security at
football matches across the continent,” the FIFA President said.
“We are encouraged by FIFA’s willingness to engage with
Africa, and to use football as a force for good across the continent, and by
working as close partners with the AU to ensure that we are playing our part in
the continued development of the sport across the African continent,” the AU
Chairperson and President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said.
Speaking by videoconference prior to the FIFA Club World Cup
final, the two leaders discussed a range of initiatives from the role that
football through education can play in developing life skills for children, be
that respecting rules and showing respect to match officials, or by encouraging
teamwork and cooperation in order to succeed. It was agreed that both AU and
FIFA shared a mutual vision for education through football, and further
discussions to identify opportunities are now being planned for a face-to-face
meeting between both leaders in Kinshasa in the near future.
The call provided the FIFA President with the opportunity to
follow-up on previous discussions with H.E. Félix Tshisekedi’s predecessor,
H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, and to assure the new AU Chairperson that FIFA and
football remain totally committed to maintaining the close cooperation and
teamwork that has been built up between both organisations in the past two
years.
The FIFA President also outlined the FIFA COVID-19 Relief
Plan, while also stressing the important investment made to support the 54
African member associations through FIFA Forward, which has already delivered
close to 300 projects across the continent since Gianni Infantino’s first
election in 2016.