Football: Aliou Cissé helping to raise African coaching standards in FIFA programme

Football world governing body FIFA's latest Coach Educators' Development Programme has taken place in Senegal with the national side's head coach Aliou Cisse tasked with the responsibility of helping to raise African coaching standards. 

Some of the modules taught in the programme included sessions dedicated to theory, practice and reflection.

"I'm here today along with a dozen, maybe even 20 coaches. They will be the future coaches in charge of the national team. So, our role is to share with them our 17 to 20 years of experience in football as players and coaches. I think that it's the route we need to follow, because when you have great trainers and coaches, it enhances the coaching of our youngsters, players and future professionals." Cisse, said. 

The four-day course was held at Saly in Dakar and staged jointly with the Senegal Football Federation. Grassroot coaches with a C license were mainly targeted.

FIFA has said the education programme forms a key part of its effort to improve the standard of football around the world.

Doudou Sarr, Technical Director, Louga Regional Technical Centre:

" I think it will have a much greater impact because we all come from different backgrounds. When the course is over, each one of us will have to implement the knowledge at a local level. It will also help us improve the course for future coaches."

The Senegalese coach Cisse was joined at the event by several senior figures in African football, including Mali’s head coach Mohamed Magassouba.

"If you look at the number of foreign coaches at the 2019 AFCON compared to the 2022 AFCON, you notice that the number of homegrown coaches increased. I could mention the likes of (Mohamed) Magassouba, Kamou (Malo) of Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea's coach (Rodolfo Bodipo), Kaba Diawara or Djamel Belmadi, just to name a few. It means that we've been training technicians, and skilled technicians." Cisse stressed.