African youth face several challenges when it comes to participating in sports. Due to lack of access, expensive sports programs and gender inequality, it is difficult for young people to develop their skills and reach their full potential.

In Africa, millions of Gen Z love sports and look to successful international athletes as motivation to succeed.

However, the high costs of sports programs, ranging from registration fees to travel costs, make participation in sports more difficult.

Similarly, women and girls are often excluded from sports programs or given fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. This is due to the deep-rooted cultural perception that sport is a male-dominated activity.

Gender inequality in sport is not only limited to access and opportunities, but also extends to issues such as salary and sponsorship deals. Female athletes are often paid less than their male counterparts and are less likely to secure lucrative sponsorship deals, despite achieving similar or even greater levels of success.

In an effort to empower youth across Africa and promote gender equality, FIFA has worked to ensure that football acts as a catalyst for positive change.

This has been highlighted in recent meetings held by FIFA President Gianni Infantino with leaders of the football federations from Sierra Leone and Burundi.

Spoke at the opening two days workshop addressing the African member associations in Paris, the FIFA president said: “this will be the year of football, this will be the year of women’s football, this will be an important year, this will be the year of the new Forward cycle, this will be the year in which we’re really starting to make a difference, where we’re really starting to make football truly global.’

Infantino discussed how to strengthen football in Africa and empower youth through the sport. The need to advocate for gender discrimination and promote women’s football is central.