Young Africans face many challenges when it comes to participating in sports. Lack of access, high cost of sports programs, and gender inequality make it difficult for young people to develop their skills and reach their full potential.
In Africa, millions of Gen Zers love sports and consider successful international athletes as their drive to success.
However, the high cost of sports programs, from registration fees to travel costs, has made it more difficult to participate in sports.
Similarly, women and girls are often excluded from sports programs or given fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. This is due to deeply held cultural beliefs that sports are a male-dominated activity.
Gender inequality in sport extends not only to access and opportunities, but also to issues such as compensation and sponsorship arrangements. Female athletes are often paid less than their male counterparts and are less likely to land lucrative sponsorship deals, despite similar or even higher levels of success.
With the aim of empowering youth across Africa and promoting gender equality, FIFA has worked to ensure that football serves as a catalyst for positive change.
This was underlined in the recent meetings that FIFA President Gianni Infantino held with the leaders of the Football Associations of Sierra Leone and Burundi.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day conference Workshop For African member associations in Paris, the FIFA President said: “It will be the year of football, it will be the year of women’s football, it will be an important year, it will be the year of a new forward cycle, this” will be the year where we really start to make a difference, where we really start to make football The foot is truly universal.
Infantino discussed ways to promote football in Africa and empower youth through sport. The need to combat gender discrimination and promote women’s football took center stage.
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