Goal Project: Cameroonian Leads FIFA Team to Nigeria
By Wale Ajimotokan
Former Cameroonian international striker Jean Ouguene -Manga has been named as the head of the FIFA two -man delegation to visit Nigeria in respect of the FIFA Goal Project
The other delegate is Jean-Michel Benezet.
According to FIFA Director of Communications Andreas Herren,the two officials will be in Abuja between July 5-10 to analyse the scope of the Goal Project in the presence of the involved parties.
Manga is one of Africa's all time greatest footballers.He was named Africa Footballer of the Year in 1980 when he guided Canon Yaounde to victory in the AfricanChampions Cup final. The Cameroonian is a FIFA regional development officer under whose jurisdiction Nigeria is placed.
Nigeria's application to benefit from the multi-million naira Goal Project has pended before the international soccer governing body for several months.
Next month's FIFA visit is in response to the additional information presented by Nigeria Football Association (NFA) Secretary General Taiwo Ogunjobi on his visit to FIFA congress in Paris last month during the football federation centennial activities.
NFA had secured a piece of land near the Abuja Stadium with a certificate of occupancy.
Also tenders will also be invited from contractors to execure the proposed project
NFA is believed to have proposed a technical centre.which will enable it undertake the enormous challenge of developing its huge reservoir of talent to FIFA.
But the take off of the project has always been put on hold because FIFA wants to ensure that the grants is well expended and cost not inflated
This explains why Zurich is insisting on tenders for the contract of the project before it will release funds for its implementation.
All things being equal Nigeria normally stands to draw the sum of $400'000 from the Goal Bureau to finance the project aside the grant of $1m (about N140million ) fom FIFA spread over four years for same
The Goal Project is FIFA's programme that will enable the national associations develop their infrastructure with the financial aid of the international body
In most cases selected national assciations opt either to establish administrative headquarters,technical centres where the training of its coaches ,referees and youth development will be undertaken or football pitches.
Several African countries including Mali,Ghana,Ethiopia and Zimbabwe among others have already reaped from the project.
For instance,Ethiopia got the sum of $886,000 for its techical centre in Sendafa,while the Malian FA secretatiat in Bamako cost $526,699.
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