Times Of Swaziland: FIFA’S SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR ESWATINI

FIFA’S SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR ESWATINI
================================================================================
Mengameli Mabuza on 02/08/2024 08:40:00


MBABANE – FIFA President Gianni Infantino held a meeting with Eswatini
Football Association (EFA) President Peter ‘Samora’ Simelane yesterday, in
Paris, France.
The objective of the meeting was to discuss the current state and advancement of
football in the African nation, as well as potential avenues for growth and
development. Infantino expressed his delight in meeting with Simelane at the
International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) office.
Constructive
“We had a very constructive and open conversation about how FIFA can help
develop football in Eswatini, especially through the FIFA Forward programme and
the FIFA Talent Development scheme. “President Simelane also told me of the
plans to grow women’s football in his country and FIFA is committed to help
all of its member associations. We will continue working with President Simelane
and his team to keep developing our game in Eswatini,” he said.
President Infantino further emphasised that their discussion also focused on the
potential enhancement of Eswatini’s stadiums, with the aim of enabling the
nation to host international matches once again. The EFA president took the
opportunity during his meeting with Infantino, to provide an update on the
current status of football in Eswatini. According to ‘Samora’, the sport is
played all over the country, and he thanked FIFA for their support in developing
the country’s infrastructure.
Challenges
Additionally, he used the meeting as an opportunity to present the current
challenges facing the sport in the country and sought Infantino’s input on
addressing them. “Currently, we don’t have a stadium which meets CAF or FIFA
standards and I was just updating him on how far we have gone and also what we
need to do, so that we can meet the standards. It was important to meet the FIFA
President and I would like to thank him for coming from his busy schedule and
having time for me and Eswatini,” he said.
“Eswatini is a small country that borders South Africa, and FIFA has been
instrumental in supporting us, particularly in the development of our football
infrastructure. Through the FIFA Forward project, we have managed to build
stadiums in all four regions of our country, with the aim of fostering youth
development,” Samora elaborated. Meanwhile, the thriving popularity of
football in the country  has displayed its tenacity on the regional stage by
reaching the semi-finals of the COSAFA Cup four times, most recently in 2021.
Construction
In 2019, FIFA Forward played a vital role in supporting the construction of the
KaLanga Technical Centre, a cutting-edge facility dedicated to the advancement
of football in Siteki. The FIFA Talent Development scheme seeks to empower
member associations to reach their full potential and to ensure that all
talented players are provided with the necessary opportunities to nurture their
abilities and achieve recognition. The initiative aligns with FIFA’s broader
mission of fostering the growth and development of football worldwide, while
also promoting the discovery and advancement of promising players from diverse
regions.