Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is among the member associations set to benefit from the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) after the initiative was approved for full implementation by the FIFA Council in Kigali, Rwanda recently. The TDS aims to help member associations fulfill their potential by providing talented players with opportunities to be detected and developed, and to raise the standards of national-team football globally for both men and women.Led by FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, the TDS will invest in academies and national teams, talent identification, elite coaches, and structured competitions. The initiative has a funding allocation of USD 200 million (Ksh 26 Billion) to cover the 2023-2026 operational lifecycle, and participating member associations will receive bespoke support, including financial and non-financial resources, through fully bespoke consulting services in the fields of talent development and high performance.“This is a fundamental step towards the objective of enhancing the competitiveness of national teams globally. We have a coordinated, holistic and scientific approach to developing talent pathways across the entire world in order to give every talent a chance. We want to go into the countries, we want to send our coaches, we want to create an academy or a centre of excellence in every country and, therefore, develop talent over a four-year span. For that reason, 2023 will be a very important year for us,” said Wenger.The main focus of the TDS will be to invest in academies – to set up at least one academy or centre of excellence in every member association by 2026 – and national teams, talent identification, elite coaches and structured competitions. “Every member association is different so we will define measurable targets with them. We want more good examples, like Morocco or Japan, to show that long-term planning pays off. We want every country to ensure that the best train with the best, and we want to build the best possible environment for them,” added Wenger.##NAJAVA_MECA_7108290##Member associations will also be entitled to apply for a FIFA talent coach, who will set up and deliver training for selected young players and local coaches. The ultimate goal is to create an academy or Center of Excellence in every member association by 2026. The TDS operational lifecycle will begin in April 2023, and each participating member association whose participation is approved will receive an annual contribution of USD 50,000 (Approximately Ksh 6 Million) to cover associated operational costs. In addition, participating member associations may submit an application for funding under one or more of the annual bespoke FIFA talent programmes to support specific projects related to their strategic long-term development plan. 30 coaches commence CAF C licenseSeven pilot countries (Kyrgyz Republic, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Benin, South Africa, Fiji and Finland) have already been chosen to kick start the programme, and the first seven FIFA talent coaches began their work in January 2023. With close to 200 member associations having applied for the TDS, and around 170 already having endorsed a long-term plan, the initiative aims to create a sustainable legacy for long-term talent development. The Training Centre, FIFA’s online educational platform, will be the go-to place for top-class technical information together with the Technical Development Platform, which member associations will use to apply and register for FIFA’s programmes.
