This article was automatically translated from HIBAPRESS, the Arabic version:
Hibapress-Rabat-Caf
The African Football Confederation (CAF) and the European Commission (CE) have finalized a historic agreement which provides for a partnership between the EC and the African CAF Totalnergies 2025 and 2027 CAF Cup, the African CAF Totalnergies 2024 Nations Cup as well as the African CAF School Football Championship.
This agreement was signed today by the president of the CAF, Dr. Patrice Word, and the European Commissioner for international partnerships, Mr. Jozef Síkela, in Cairo, in Egypt.
CAF president, Dr. Patrice Word, said: “CAF is delighted with the agreement that we have signed today with the European Commission, by which the CE is associated with the Cup of Totalnergies 2025 and 2027, at the African CAF Totalnergies 2024 CAF African Cup of Nations 2024 as well as at the CAF African School Football Championship. This partnership is also a recognition of the significant progress made within the CAF and the respect which results from governance, ethics and transparency policies that we have implemented, as well as our zero tolerance with regard to corruption. Our partnership reflects the mutual commitment of CAF and the European Commission in favor of the development and promotion of school football and young people in Africa, as well as the expansion of cultural, commercial and investment relations between our two continents. I would like to express my gratitude to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to Jozef Síkela and to the EC for this exciting partnership. »»
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, underlined the strong link between Africa and Europe: “The European Union and Africa are partners of choice. The European Union is the first trading partner and the first investor in Africa. The Global Gateway is the Africa-Europe plan with more than 150 billion euros in investments, funding infrastructure projects abroad. But that’s more than that. It involves creating links, empowering young people, local communities and entire regions. Sport and football are part of it. »»
Mr. Síkela commented: “Our Global Gateway strategy aims to transform the potential into an opportunity. By associating with CAF, we make Europe ‘partnership with Africa more visible, more tangible and more relevant – especially for young people. It is not just a question of sport. It is a question of maintaining children at school, offering them models and creating the conditions necessary to exploit their potential – in the field and outside.
“The main objective of our cooperation with Africa is to create new opportunities – new jobs, a quality health system, improved public services, new partnerships. Consequently, a key element of this agreement is support for the African CAF school football championship, which will affect up to 33,000 schools across Africa. »»
Thanks to this partnership, the CAF and the European Commission will collaborate closely to align their development initiatives, anchored in their common values of inclusion, fair play and opportunity through the continent. This agreement will also help to amplify awareness of Global Gateway projects of the CE while ensuring that football remains a path of growth and development.
