Mr. Titus Kunamuene, NFA Acting Secretary General and Director and Competitions, recently participated in the CAF Stadium Workshop held at the Mohammed VI Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco. The workshop, organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), focused on the crucial investment in football infrastructure across the African continent.
The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Fouzi Lekjaa, President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and a CAF Executive Committee Member. Lekjaa emphasized the significance of investing in top-notch infrastructure and maintaining football facilities to international standards.
The workshop covered various essential aspects such as the regulatory framework for CAF stadiums, inspection guidelines, pitch quality (both natural and artificial), floodlighting assessment, safety and security protocols, and media and TV facilities.
One of the primary objectives of the workshop was to train stadium inspectors who will be responsible for ensuring that stadiums across Africa meet the required standards for hosting CAF events, as outlined in the CAF Stadium Regulations (edition 2022). The rigorous three-day training program included theoretical sessions, practical exercises, and stadium visits guided by CAF Departmental Heads.
Participants were tested on their knowledge of stadium inspection criteria, including pitch quality, seating capacity, safety measures, lighting, medical facilities, and media infrastructure, among others. Additionally, attendees received training on utilizing the Club Licensing Online Platform (CLOP), a digital tool launched by CAF in 2022 to facilitate stadium inspection processes for continental and domestic competitions.
Mr. Kunamuene’s participation underscores Namibia’s commitment to improving football infrastructure and ensuring compliance with international standards. By investing in the training of stadium inspectors and leveraging digital tools like CLOP, Namibia aims to enhance the quality and safety of its football facilities, thereby contributing to the development of the sport across the continent. The investment in football infrastructure in Africa, building and maintenance of stadiums in the 54 CAF Member Associations has been the one of the key strategic focus areas of the CAF Leadership.
The CAF Stadium Inspectors Workshop is designed to train stadium inspectors who will be appointed by CAF to guide African clubs and Member Associations in ensuring that their stadiums are in line with the required standards of hosting CAF events, as per the CAF Stadium Regulations (edition 2022).
Morocco is preparing to host key CAF Events in the next cycle, which include the TotalEnergies CAF Futsal Africa Cup of Nations (11 – 21 April) as well as next year’s TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
The country was also recently awarded the hosting rights to the next five editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup as of 2025.
