FIFA Chief Reflects on Historic Visit to Zambia

26.06.2024 | Football in my DNA

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed his gratitude to FAZ president Andrew Kamanga and the Zambian community for the warm welcome during his recent two-day visit. In a letter dated June 26, 2024, to Kamanga, Infantino emphasized his commitment to developing football in Zambia.

"I would like to thank you and your team for affording us such a cordial welcome and warm hospitality, and making our stay so special on the occasion of our visit to Zambia on Wednesday, 12 and Thursday, 13 June 2024," Infantino wrote.

During the visit, Infantino engaged in several significant events, including a meeting with the President of the Republic of Zambia, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, the inauguration of the FAZ Accommodation Centre—built with support from the FIFA Forward programme—the commemoration ceremony of the Gabon Air Disaster at the Memorial Site, youth exhibition matches, and discussions with the FAZ executive committee and other Zambian football stakeholders.

Infantino highlighted that these moments provided opportunities to exchange ideas and vision for football, express FIFA's support for the development of the sport in Zambia—particularly youth and women's football—and improve football infrastructure.

"The time spent together also allowed us to strengthen the ties between FIFA and Zambia and to highlight the unifying role that football can play in society, especially for the benefit of youth," Infantino noted. "This visit has reinforced our determination to work together for the prosperity of football and the community in Zambia, and you can always count on FIFA’s support for this."

Infantino concluded by expressing his eagerness to see continued efforts towards football development in Zambia and looked forward to future engagements with the FAZ president.

Infantino was accompanied by Mattias Grafstrom and Director of Member Associations Gelson Fernandez during the visit. One of the visit's highlights was the launch of the $10 million FAZ Technical Centre, which will be housed in Chongwe.

This visit underscores FIFA's ongoing commitment to nurturing and developing football in Zambia, reinforcing the sport's role in uniting communities and fostering youth development.

Credit: FAZ