The President of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, has thanked FIFA President Gianni Infantino for FIFA’s support in developing football in the country during a meeting between the two on the fringes of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States. Football development in the country has taken huge strides in recent years thanks to the efforts of President Touadéra’s government in partnership with the Central African Football Federation (FCF), under its President Célestin Yanindji, and FIFA. During the meeting, President Touadéra underlined that FIFA has implemented the projects discussed during previous meetings, delivering on its commitments in support of youth development. The FIFA President, who previously met President Touadéra at the FIFA Paris office in 2024 and during a visit to the country in 2021, thanked the President of the Central African Republic for his commitment to working together and to using football as a lever for development for the youth.

“I had the great pleasure of meeting with the President of the Central African Republic, His Excellency Faustin-Archange Touadéra, in New York 🇺🇸 to discuss football's role in society and how we can provide more opportunities for the youth of this nation,” the FIFA President said. “Since our last meeting in Paris last year, an initiative has been launched as part of the FIFA Football for Schools Programme which aims to increase the participation of football in schools and build teachers' capacity to teach our sport. In addition, FIFA Forward supports the construction of infrastructure in the country, notably through a pioneering project: the creation of a technical centre dedicated to the development of women's football. “We also had the opportunity to discuss the FIFA Arena mini-football pitch construction project, as well as FIFA's collaboration with the government and local stakeholders, including the great work of the Central African Football Federation under President Célestin Yanindji.”

President Touadéra himself laid the foundation for the women’s national technical centre, which is being built in Liton on the outskirts of the capital Bangui, in January 2024. In addition to coaching young players, it is intended to help them continue their studies and create an environment which is conducive to their social and professional development.

It is one of very few technical centres worldwide dedicated to the development of women’s football and the pioneering project, financed through FIFA Forward, shows the country’s strong commitment to women’s football. A project for the construction of ten mini football pitches is currently underway in Bangui and across the country as part of the FIFA Arena initiative, which will see more than 1,000 mini-pitches installed around the world, particularly in less privileged urban and rural areas. Another initiative, launched under the FIFA Football for Schools programme, aims to increase football participation in schools and strengthen teachers’ capacities in delivering football education. It was launched in September 2025 following a Memorandum of Understanding which was signed at the FIFA Africa Office in Rabat, Morocco, in July 2025, with the Central African Republic and Niger selected as the two pilot partner countries for the project.

FIFA is also supporting the government and the FCF in their project to renovate the national stadium so that Central African Republic national teams can play in front of their fans in their own country, their matches in the African qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 26™ having been held in Morocco. The Central African Republic took part in the inaugural FIFA Series in March 2024, playing Papua New Guinea and Bhutan in Sri Lanka, and the FCF has already renovated the national technical centre with FIFA Forward support to provide modern facilities for the stars of the future.