FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura has paid a return visit to Dire Dawa, following up on her trip last year when she pledged FIFA’s support to develop football in Ethiopia’s second biggest city. After being welcomed by the city’s Mayor Kedir Juhar, Fatma Samoura took part in a Football for Schools event at the Dire Dawa Sport Academy centre, one day after Ethiopia became the 102nd country to launch the programme.

The FIFA Secretary General then visited the Dire Dawa International Stadium which is currently being upgraded. New seating is being installed to accommodate 25,000 people and a modern artificial grass pitch is being laid. The stadium, built in 1968 with a capacity of 10,000, is a part of Ethiopian football history and was one of two match venues, alongside Addis Ababa, when the country hosted the CAF African Cup of Nations in 1976. “It was very rewarding to return to Dire Dawa, a city where people eat, sleep and breathe football, and witness once again at first hand, their real passion for our sport,” FIFA Secretary General said. “I would like to offer a special thank you to Mayor Kedir Juhar and the city administration for the warm welcome. They have my utmost admiration for their truly remarkable dedication to developing football and enhancing the infrastructure.”

Football for Schools (F4S) is run by FIFA, in collaboration with UNESCO, and aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children worldwide. It seeks to make football more accessible to both boys and girls worldwide by incorporating football activities into the education system, in partnership with relevant authorities and stakeholders.