FIFA Arena: Education Officials Examine Ways to Sustain the Impact of Infrastructure

This workshop comes as part of the agreement signed on January 18 by FIFA, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, and OCP, with the aim of building 30 FIFA Arena mini-pitches across the Kingdom of Morocco.

“This workshop brings together officials from regional academies and provincial directorates, as well as school principals, with the objective of examining how these pitches can be utilized to benefit young people, as well as the means to preserve them in order to ensure the sustainability of their impact and to turn them into spaces open to civil society and the surrounding community,” said Abdesselam Mili, Director of the Promotion of School Sports at the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports.

In a statement to the press, Mr. Mili highlighted the importance of the administrative and educational staff within schools for the governance and management of these pitches, as well as for ensuring optimal access for young people, whether they are inside or outside the school environment.

“The idea of this workshop is to bring all stakeholders together to design a model that will allow these infrastructures to endure over time and have a lasting impact through better management,” explained Ismail Lyoubi, CEO of Evosport (OCP Group).

“As part of this partnership, the objective is to ensure a long-term legacy for these infrastructures and to also provide training for beneficiaries aged between 6 and 14,” Mr. Lyoubi noted, adding that “this will allow young people to practice in high-quality facilities, with supervision trained by FIFA and the FRMF, within schools, which highlights the importance of the contribution of the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports.”

For his part, Aïmane Zourhlal, FIFA representative at the event, stated that the aim of the workshop is “to involve stakeholders and to gather as much information and exchange as possible from all participants, including provincial directors and academy directors, around sixty of whom are taking part in this workshop.”

“The objective is to establish a roadmap at the end of this workshop to successfully implement this project and place it within a long-term vision in order to benefit as many Moroccan young people as possible in the coming years,” he added.

The workshop program focuses on several themes, including “FIFA strategic framework and development programs,” “FIFA Arena strategy and legacy vision in Morocco,” “Women’s football and FIFA Arena rollout in Morocco,” “Talent Development Scheme and youth amateur football pathways,” and “FIFA Football for Schools opportunities in Morocco.”

Participants will also examine “FIFA medical initiatives related to FIFA Arena in Morocco,” “National partners’ strategy and implementation framework,” “FRMF technical and sporting integration,” and “Ministry of Education school integration and educational impact.”

The FIFA Arena program is a global initiative led by the international football body, with the objectives of building more than 1,000 FIFA Arena facilities worldwide, ensuring equal access to football for children and youth, using sport as a tool for education, social inclusion, health, and community cohesion, and creating a lasting legacy within local communities.

These mini football pitches are designed to be local, sustainable, safe, and accessible, integrated into key community spaces, particularly schools. They are mainly installed within public educational institutions, in close coordination with national and local education authorities.

Editorial team/le7tv