World Cup
African football has the platform for historic World Cup success
Africa could break the glass ceiling of winning the World Cup in the next 10 years, partly thanks to a platform highlighting to foreign clubs the most talented youth from the continent, the co-founder has boldly claimed to AFP.
Morocco’s surprise run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals sparked hopes that such a moment is not far off.
Benjamin Balkin, though, thinks Eyeball, the digital platform he co-founded in 2020, could be the determining factor in ensuring that happens as it provides a shop window for talent which would previously have been missed.
Balkin cheerfully describes himself as a “failed footballer” having played in the academy of French club Monaco but was told he would fall short in the senior ranks.
As a Monaco ballboy, Balkin marvelled at the skills of Ivory Coast superstar Yaya Toure and Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor.
It was the spark that lit the fuse and has years later resulted in Eyeball investing in an Under-19 championship for Senegalese academies, United Future League, in Senegal.
That is one part of their investment as they also provide video cameras to 5,000 youth coaches globally, who film training sessions and add tags to individual players which are then placed on the platform.
High-profile clubs like German champions Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea can access the footage.
It costs clubs just 92 euros ($97) a day to be able to scout 30,000 players across Africa.
Balkin, born in France to Danish parents, says by moving abroad the players grow in every sense which ultimately benefits their national sides.
“Those players leaving African academies and going to European or American academies, their football understanding skills, IQ will improve, because of just a better level of training, better infrastructure,” Balkin told AFP from Copenhagen.
“When those players come back and play for the national team, the national teams will also benefit from that and perform probably at a better level.
“So maybe if we speak again in 10 years, we’ll have an African nation that has won the World Cup, that wouldn’t be surprising.”
‘Much more transparent’
Balkin’s friend and now colleague Oliver Durr Dehnhardt experienced how difficult it was to acquire African talent when he was a scout at Dutch giants Ajax.
“We made a partnership with Cape Town FC in South Africa for a few years,” he told AFP.
“It didn’t work out. We got one player out of it and it was still too messy.
“So in the end, before Eyeball, the idea in Africa was, let’s wait until they come to Europe and then we just need to accept that we will have to pay 10, 15, 20 million euros for them.”
The 30-year-old Dane said that picture was transformed when Eyeball, who say they are the only players in this market, came on the scene.
“In my later stage at Ajax, we were starting to look actively in Africa because Eyeball enabled that for us,” he said.
“With the United Future League, they actually built the structure that was missing and gave us the opportunity to see the players a year, year-and-a-half before they made their senior debut.
“So all of a sudden, we were able to replicate the process that we have in Europe to Africa.”
In years gone by there have been plentiful stories of young talent brought to Europe by unscrupulous agents and when they fail to make it are left to fend for themselves, often condemned to sleeping on the streets.
Balkin, 26, believes such behaviour is now “outdated” but Eyeball provides a safety net.
“It certainly made things much more transparent,” he said.
“That’s the biggest thing. So throughout the system, you’re actually able to get correct information on players.
“So first of all, like, when are they born? What is the nationality?
“Clubs and scouts are able to reach out directly to other clubs down there in Africa without having to go through intermediaries.”
Balkin highlights the story of 19-year-old Assane Ouedraogo, who through the platform earned a move from his Ivory Coast club San Pedro to Charlotte in the MLS, although he is currently on loan at MLS Next Pro side Crown Legacy FC.
“With the sign-on bonus, he was able to buy a house for his parents.”
-AFP
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
World Cup
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
As Morocco continues to attract global visitors, especially in the sporting segments, infrastructural development is ongoing.
The latest is the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed Rail Line (LGV) at Rabat-Agdal train station, paving the way for a new era of ultra-modern rail infrastructure across the country.
The project was launched on Thursday by the monarch, King Mohammed VI. Apart from being a centre of major sporting events, Morocco recently launched a tourism initiative that will make the kingdom the ultimate destination.
The internal transport system is being overhauled. The 430-kilometre project forms part of a $9.6 billion railway development program that will transform the country’s transportation network.
It will be recalled that the 2030 FIFA World Cup is being co-hosted by Morocco along with Spain and Portugal.
It is the first ever transcontinental edition of the World Cup, which also marks the 100th anniversary of the global championship.
According to information from the Moroccan News Agency (MAP), the Kenitra-Marrakech LGV reflects Morocco’s strategic vision for sustainable development, particularly the promotion of low-carbon collective mobility solutions.
“This project demonstrates Morocco’s firm determination to continue developing the national rail network,” said an official statement during the ceremony, noting the railway’s role as “the backbone of a sustainable and inclusive transport system.”
The high-speed line will connect Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech while serving Rabat and Casablanca airports.
It will drastically reduce travel times, with journeys between Tangier and Rabat taking just one hour, Tangier to Casablanca 1 hour 40 minutes, and Tangier to Marrakech 2 hours 40 minutes — saving over two hours compared to current durations.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Saudi Arabia would be ready and willing to host a 64-team World Cup in 2034 if FIFA accepts a controversial proposal to expand the tournament from 48, according to the kingdom’s sports minister.
South America’s CONMEBOL has officially suggested staging the centenary 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco with 64 teams, but the idea has been opposed by some other continental confederations.
Next year’s tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will have 48 countries participating, up from 32 in 2022.
Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal told a select group of reporters at the Saudi Arabian Formula One Grand Prix in Jeddah that his country would have no objection to an increase in the numbers for 2034.
“We’re ready, or we will be ready, inshallah (God willing). If that’s a decision that FIFA takes and thinks that that’s a good decision for everyone, then we’re more than happy to deliver on it,” he said.
He pointed to the infrastructure already in place for Islamic pilgrims, with four million people attending Mecca for Umrah during Ramadan this year and five million expected for the Hajj.
FIFA expected to confirm Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup hosts – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – December 11, 2024 A model of the proposed Roshn Stadium is seen inside the Saudi Arabia World Cup bid exhibition REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
The global soccer governing body officially announced Saudi Arabia as hosts of the 2034 men’s World Cup in December, a bid that was uncontested but strongly criticised by rights organisations.
The Kingdom has invested heavily in sport over the last few years, but critics accuse it of ‘sportswashing’ its human rights record. The country denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.
The bid book pledged 15 stadiums, new or refurbished, by 2032 and which are expected to be completed with the help of migrant labour.
Al-Faisal said worker safety was of the highest priority and Saudi organisers were talking regularly with FIFA and 2022 hosts and neighbours Qatar, the first World Cup in the region, to learn from their experience.
He said the death, reported last month, of a worker at the Aramco Stadium construction site in Al Khobar had come after millions of hours without issue.
“Every incident we take seriously, we file an investigation, we look what went wrong,” said the minister. “Unfortunately, in construction, these things happen.”
He said Saudi Arabia was part of the International Labour Organisation and a 2021 Labour Reform Act had abolished the kafala system that binds migrant workers to one employer and prevents them from leaving without the employer’s approval.
Alcohol, prohibited for observant Muslims, is banned in Saudi Arabia and Al-Faisal confirmed the World Cup would be dry.
“The law now here in Saudi is that there’s no alcohol. Will that change in the future? We don’t know. But I don’t see it really affecting our sporting events at all,” he said.
“We’ve had more than 100 international events so far. We’ve had people come from all over the world to attend these sporting events. And everyone’s happy with the hospitality, the setup, the experience that they get.
“I don’t see it as an issue, to be honest. So I hope it’s not going to be an issue”.
Alcohol was not sold at stadiums in Qatar, where drinking in public is illegal, in 2022 but beer was available at designated fan zones and in some hotels.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
A 64-team World Cup in 2030 should not be considered, CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has said, joining some other confederations in opposing a plan presented by CONMEBOL.
CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez last week officially proposed staging the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams, up from the 48 set to take part in next year’s edition, with the tournament to be hosted largely by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
The opening matches will take place in Uruguay, where the first World Cup was hosted in 1930, along with Argentina and Paraguay.
“I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players,” Montagliani told ESPN, opens new tab.
CONCACAF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The CONMEBOL plan would have a long way to go for approval, with the 48-team 2026 edition already expanded from the 2022 tournament, when 32 countries took part.
The 2026 tournament is set to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
“We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table,” said Montagliani.
His comments echoed complaints by UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin, who this month voiced opposition to the idea, and Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, who told AFP, opens new tab he fears expansion would lead to chaos.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
The league title will be icing on Soname’s birthday cake on Sunday
As major global sporting events beckon, Morocco’s monarch launches the Kenitra-Marrakech High-Speed rail project
Nigeria Premier League attains a crescendo this weekend
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL1 week ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON1 week ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL7 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature5 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football3 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu