The role of competitions: Three African nations come together for prototype U15 tournament

While there was ultimately a winning team in last week's prototype three-nation U15 tournament at Morocco's Centre of Excellence, the real winners were the three participants: South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, and Morocco, as well as African youth football in general.

"When we delved into FIFA's Ecosystem Analysis, it became evident that African youth national teams lack sufficient competition opportunities. For many, the first time they assemble a national team is when they're gearing up for the FIFA U-17 World Cup qualifiers," said Ulf Schott, FIFA’s Head of High Performance. Unlike some other confederations, African teams don't often get the chance to participate in U15 development tournaments.

“So as part of FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS), we quickly realized it made sense to target an age group just below that, giving them exposure to international matches at an early age," Schott continues. "We also wanted them to operate in an environment where winning wasn't the sole focus, allowing coaches and players to make mistakes and learn."

FIFA’s TDS helped in organizing the event, and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) gladly hosted the prototype event at its top-notch Centre of Excellence – where the FIFA Training Centre had already been a guest in 2022.

When it comes to gaining experience from these developmental tournaments, it's more than just the time spent on the pitch. Coaches and staff gain valuable experience in competition and organization; talents need to be identified and reached out to, and a cohesive squad needs to be assembled.

FIFA’s High Performance team seized the opportunity to invite the participating teams in Morocco to a coaching workshop, discussing key findings from the recent FIFA U-17 World Cup, sharing best practices, and delving into coach education.

"We discussed how successful teams quickly regain possession after losing the ball – something African teams are a bit slow at," adds Abdul Faisal Chibsah, FIFA High Performance Specialist. "Also, the international game is becoming increasingly compact, whereas most African games tend to be more open, leaving more gaps for opponents to exploit. The most competitive teams globally are getting stronger in 1v1 situations, breaking lines, and disrupting the opposition’s compactness."

Workshops like this will not only enhance the benefits of developmental tournaments but also address another crucial aspect: Players on the continent often lack exposure to quality coaching at a young age. "While the technical skills are there – there's an abundance of raw, natural talent – there's a gap in game understanding and decision-making processes," continues FIFA’s High Performance Specialist.

Developmental tournaments can kickstart a trickle-down process, with players and coaches taking their learnings back to clubs and fellow coaches, ultimately improving the broader football community. "One way to enhance this would be to send new FIFA Talent Coaches to these countries, where they can help create high-performance environments and identify talents from an early age," concludes Chibsah.

International tournaments like this one also serve as a catalyst for clubs and national associations to collaborate in nurturing their talents by establishing individual development programs for players – a logical process that requires consistent application to be as effective as possible.

As a prototype, there is now hope that this successful tournament will inspire many other associations to follow suit across different parts of the continent, ultimately benefiting football in Africa.