Toure welcomes FIFA Football for Schools

Ivory Coast, FC Barcelona and Manchester City legend Yaya Toure has thrown his weight behind the FIFA Football for Schools program launched at the SAFA Technical Centre in the South of Johannesburg on Friday. 

Toure, who is an ambassador of the program, is also a product of schools football back in Ivory Coast, where he came through the Asec Mimosas academy in Abidjan. 

The 39-year-old, who is now a youth coach at Tottenham Hotspur where he is in charge of the U16s, says talent in Africa has never been in doubt but has been failed by those in power who have not kept their empty promises.

"I believe we have the quality and we have good young players in Africa but if they are not surrounded by all they need to be among the top and well developed in the football industry, it's going to be difficult [to make it there later]," said Toure.

"Some of our people, I don't want to mention their names, the politicians and people at the top, they've been saying and they've always been writing on paper what we should do, which is really good, but in a practical way there's nothing and that's the issue with it.

"I think the initiative with FIFA now is [something] I've been waiting for very long, and that's why I'm so happy to be part and joining [in this program]. I think we're looking forward to it and it will be something serious."

A total of 52 teachers involved in football from around South Africa, including coaches from the School of Excellence, graduated with certificates from the FIFA capacity building course, which ran for three days this week. 

Toure remains hopeful that out of these programs, an African country can one day realize the dream of lifting the World Cup title.

"We as Africans now, because I'm retired from football - I'm going to be a different department in football now, I've always been dreaming to see one African country or team win the World Cup, that's our dream," he added.

"If you have all the support and all the equipment and things to develop our young lads to become better footballers tomorrow, I think soon we're maybe going to have a Ballon d'Or winner one day."

By Velile Mnyandu