The General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa –ANOCA– Zone VI, held in Windhoek from 5 to 7 March, delivered a concrete announcement for Namibia: the construction of a FIFA-standard football pitch at the Olympafrica centre of the Namibia National Olympic Committee, located in Omaruru. The project is part of the partnership between FIFA, the International Olympic Committee -IOC- and ANOCA, and it was presented by the president of the continental body, Mustapha Berraf.

The announcement fits into an increasingly visible line of work across the continent. Beyond tournaments, national teams or major one-off events, FIFA is strengthening in Africa a network of infrastructure and grassroots programmes built on the idea that football development should also rest on permanent structures: technical centres, refurbished stadiums, school mini-pitches and training systems spread across different countries. That strategy relies above all on FIFA Forward, the programme through which the organisation said it had surpassed USD 1.06 billion in investment in African football from 2016 to September 2025, with a projection of reaching USD 1.28 billion by the end of 2026.

From Namibia to a network of technical centres

One of the most recent examples is in Nigeria. The Nigeria Football Federation began construction in Abuja on a new technical centre with player accommodation, two training pitches and the refurbishment of an existing surface, all financed through FIFA Forward. The project includes a 68-room residential block, one natural grass pitch, one synthetic pitch and a 1,838-seat stand, with completion expected within two years.

The same pattern can be seen elsewhere on the continent. In August 2025, Kenya’s president, William Ruto, handed Gianni Infantino the title deeds to the land where the Football Kenya Federation will build its future national technical centre in Machakos, a project financed through FIFA Forward and designed with one natural grass pitch, two artificial surfaces, an administration building and conference rooms. In Mauritania, meanwhile, FIFA announced in February 2025 the opening of the continent’s first FIFA Talent Academy, alongside progress on the expansion of the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya stadium, also supported by FIFA Forward funding.

1,000 mini-pitches: football as everyday access

The expansion is not limited to complexes for national teams or federations. In Algeria, the Algerian Football Federation became the first African member association affiliated to FIFA to inaugurate mini-pitches under the FIFA Arena project, with two artificial surfaces in Algiers set to benefit more than 1,500 schoolchildren. The programme, launched by FIFA with the aim of installing at least 1,000 mini-pitches worldwide by 2031, places everyday access to the game among its priorities.

Liberia offers another example of the same approach. In Paynesville, two mini-pitches were inaugurated at schools, with an expected impact on more than 3,000 children, as part of a collaboration between FIFA and the Liberia Football Association. The same day also saw the opening of a new FIFA-approved artificial surface at Gompa Stadium, in Nimba County, alongside other upgrades such as floodlights, an irrigation system, fencing and roofing for the stands.

From major tournaments to a more stable foundation

The common thread in these projects is that development is no longer being framed only around international competition or the cycles of senior national teams. In Mauritania, for example, the country became the first in Africa to launch Football for Schools in March 2022 and, three years later, hosted the first milestone event of a FIFA Talent Academy on the continent. The combination of schools, talent identification, facilities and federation support outlines a strategy that seeks continuity beyond the competitive calendar.

Seen from that perspective, the pitch announced in Omaruru during the ANOCA Zone VI meeting takes on a significance that goes beyond Namibia. It is not being presented as a major work tied to a tournament, but as infrastructure integrated into an Olympafrica centre and geared towards grassroots sport, the community and the development of young people. That is where the roadmap becomes clearer: less dependence on isolated moments of visibility and a stronger emphasis on leaving behind spaces, programmes and structures that remain active once the competition, the official visit or the media spotlight has moved on.