Five African Member Associations participate in FIFA Exchange Workshop in Austria

Five African Member Associations (MA’s) are participating cross-Confederation workshop organised by FIFA for African and European in Vienna, Austria towards strengthening its commitment for global football development.

Hosted by the Austrian Football Federation, the five African MA’s taking part in the 28-30 April 2025 workshop are Cameroon, Gabon, Morocco, Senegal and Tanzania joined by their counterparts from Finland, Georgia, Moldova, Wales.

Raising the standard of football across the world is a key part of FIFA’s mission and one very effective method of doing this is by knowledge sharing and collaboration between member associations in different regions. 

The three-day workshop reflects FIFA’s strategic commitment to supporting and empowering its members through enhanced collaboration, practical knowledge exchange, and a focus on shared development goals.

The five areas being discussed by the participants are:

• Sustainability of elite club competitions

• Investment in football infrastructure 

• Accelerating the development of women's football

• Enhancing participation and hosting international competitions

• Improving governance and financial control

The areas echo FIFA’s broader vision of unity, solidarity, and progress, and highlights its role as a key facilitator of development across all levels of football.

FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer and Europe Regional Director, Elkhan Mammadov said: “This is already the second the knowledge exchange, the previous one was held in Uzbekistan with Federations from Europe and Asia and was a great example of cross-collaboration. We are creating the same kind of excellence environment here in Austria with Africain federations. 

Collaboration is the key to tackling our common challenges and unlocking new opportunities for the global game and that’s why we have invited these

federations. We will learn from each other, and this is also FIFA’s role: to build bridges which unite the world.”

On his part, FIFA Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer and Africa Regional Director, Gelson Fernandes said: “This workshop is a powerful example of how cross-confederation cooperation can accelerate football development. It’s valuable to have a space where ideas can be exchanged openly, because many of our federations — no matter where they are in the world — face the same challenges.

“Having a space to hear from each other and learn from each other will benefit us all." 

The workshop seeks to provide a global approach where everyone will give their own expertise, challenges and allow all to reflect on self-strategy. 

In addition, FIFA also seeks to raise standards, inspire innovation, and encourage cross-confederation partnerships, ultimately contributing to the global growth and sustainability of the game.

Each Member Association is represented by two delegates