FIFA chief Gianni Infantino sets a new goal for football in Seychelles
By Seychelles Life Sports Correspondent
The meeting between FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President Wavel Ramkalawan at State House generated positive news for football ahead of the 2025 Beach Soccer World Cup to be held in Seychelles.
Mr Ramkalawan is the Patron of the Seychelles Football Federation and the Cup is the first-ever FIFA tournament to be staged in the country.
Mr Infantino said FIFA is planning to build a new football stadium in Seychelles and is committed to help Seychellois football move forward.
The FIFA chief declared that the work was a “symbol” of what FIFA is about.
He said: “Seychelles has around 100,000 inhabitants and FIFA is there for everyone: for the biggest countries, for the smallest countries. Football is the same everywhere. It’s lived and loved with the same passion.”
Also accompanying Mr Infantino, was FIFA Senior Football Adviser Youri Djorkaeff, the France midfield legend and 1998 World Cup winner.
This is only the second time a FIFA President has visited Seychelles.
Sepp Blatter came in 2001, when Seychelles hosted the U17 African Championship. Mr Blatter turned up again ten years later, this time on holiday with his family, but those were the years when Seychellois football was doing well and Seychelles won its first ever Indian Ocean Islands Games gold medal.
The visit of Mr Infantino to Seychelles is one of his first abroad since his re-election last month for a third term as chief of world football.
He was welcomed by Seychelles Football Federation President Elvis Chetty and members of the SFF executive committee
Mr Infantino said FIFA, in collaboration with the SFF, is ready to build football arenas and playing fields if the Government provides the land.
This was encouraging news as the sport is in dire need of adequate football venues, and this includes the islands of Praslin and La Digue, where the existing infrastructures urgently need restoration work.
During his short visit to Seychelles, Mr Infantino opened two newly-renovated astroturf playing fields at Roche Caiman which form part of the projects funded by FIFA.
He also promised that FIFA will make the 2025 Beach Soccer World Cup the best ever. The Cup will be a big opportunity to promote the country on an international scale, as the event will be broadcast live worldwide.
Seychelles is not only the first African country to host the competition, it will also be the first time that it will actually take part – two historic moments for a small nation.
The occasion is also a chance to have a new 4,000-seater beach soccer arena specially built to host the games.
Stad Popiler will start hosting matches again soon, after the completion of much needed renovation work. Track and field athletes too will benefit from the renovation work done on Stad Popiler.
There is work too on improving the 30-year-old Stade L’Unité.
The tartan tracks are to be replaced and FIFA has agreed to help the Seychelles Football Federation with the resurfacing of the playing field and new lighting for a cost of around SR17 million. Other work includes drainage and levelling.
The first phase of the renovation work at Stade L'Unité is expected to be completed by early August.
As the FIFA President pointed out, football can have a positive impact on people, especially on young boys and girls. The inter-school U17 championship, which forms part of the FIFA-funded projects in Seychelles, is now seen as not only an important talent development programme, but also a way of keeping young people interested in healthy activities – and hopefully out of trouble.