Started by the United Nations in 2019 and celebrated on 7 October, World Cotton Day provides an opportunity to bring together international stakeholders and to reflect upon developments within the industry, particularly in Africa. This year, said stakeholders got together in Benin for the event. A FIFA delegation was among those present in Cotonou. It was led by Gelson Fernandes, FIFA’s Director Member Associations Africa, who travelled on behalf of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) signed a memorandum of understanding in 2022, which saw them announce their Partenariat pour le Coton (Cotton Partnership). One of the main aims of this partnership is to utilise the popularity of football across the globe to find ways of promoting the economic inclusion of developing countries. The steering committee of this partnership also met in June in Cotonou, the capital of Benin and setting for this year’s World Cotton Day celebrations.

FIFA and the WTO decided to join forces in order to use football as a tool to develop the cotton-textile industry in the countries of the Cotton-4+ (C4+) programme, which is made up of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad, with Côte d’Ivoire also acting as an observer member. Much like the teams we see at FIFA tournaments, the FIFA-WTO team are on the pitch and focused on their goal, determined to find continued success. “I am thrilled to be working in close collaboration with FIFA, under the leadership of Gianni Infantino, to support the C4+ programme in order to maximise the economic growth of the cotton industry,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO. “This is a unique opportunity to improve the lives of farmers, including young people and women.”

Gelson Fernandes, FIFA’s Director Member Associations Africa, is on the same wavelength: “We are pleased to be working with the WTO and the stakeholders of the ‘Partenariat pour le Coton’ in order to utilise football as a tool for positive change, with a focus on improving people’s lives – especially the young people and women of Western Africa and Central Africa.” 

While this World Cotton Day provided FIFA with a new opportunity to exchange ideas on ways to improve the benefits and the impact of cotton through the beautiful game, it also gave Gelson Fernandes the chance to visit the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, on 8 October. The topic of conversation here was the development of football in Africa, and Benin in particular.

FIFA’s Director Member Associations Africa was joined by Véron Mosengo-Omba, General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football. Also in attendance were Benoit Dato (Minister for Sports), Mathurin De Chacus (President of the Beninese Football Association), Jimmy Adjovi-Boco (Technical Advisor to the Minister for Sports) and Sindé Gilles Chekete (Director-General of the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Exports [APIEx]).

“The Confederation of African Football is fully committed, with the General Secretary [Veron Mosengo-Omba] having previously been in my position. We are continuing on the same path with the President of the Football Association and the Government in order to develop and provide real opportunities to the young people of Benin,” said Gelson Fernandes speaking about this meeting, during which the progress of the FIFA Forward Programme and the FIFA Talent Development Scheme in Africa, and Benin in particular, were discussed. As part of the FIFA Forward Programme, USD 1.5 million have been allocated to build a training centre in the north of the country with the aim of providing the region’s young talents with an opportunity to develop their game. The TDS has also brought in a FIFA-accredited expert to strengthen coaching and refereeing capabilities in the region.  The evidence seems to suggest that the development of the cotton-textile industry through the beautiful game and the development of football are on the right track in Benin.