Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) instructor Ben Koffie and assistant development officer Sonnyboy Sithebe will facilitate the workshop, attended by teachers, youth development officers and district sports coordinators from the 10 districts of the country.

The programme, expected to start in March, envisages regional and district Under 12s, 15s, 17, and 20s football teams to be established.

Koffie urged local football administrators to organise inter-regional and inter-district competitions to ensure a spirit of competitiveness exists. District sports coordinators should be in charge of
organising such competitions with the assistance of the Director of Football Development Mafole Sematlane.

People should not use the lack of facilities as an excuse for not playing football, as African countries have produced quality players who featured in Europe despite having started playing on poor pitches, he said.

The Project is fully sponsored by the world football governing body to the tune of M1.5 million for the next four years.

15 February 2005