Three African countries benefit from FIFA Women’s World Cup Club Solidarity Fund which was launched in 2019 to reward clubs for providing players for the 2019 Women’s World Cup tournament held in France.
The money which stands at $8.46 million will be distributed to some eight hundred and twenty-two professional and grassroots clubs to encourage football clubs in their quest to develop talent for the women’s game.
Among these clubs feature 26 from Cameroon, 35 clubs from South Africa and 21 from Nigeria. They have received a total of $205,580.
No Ghanaian club benefited from the solidarity fund. This is because their players were not present at the tournament as the Black Queens failed to secure qualification.
Black Queens could not finish among the best three teams at the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations tournament staged in Ghana.
A FIFA statement read: ”The payments reward clubs for providing players with a professional football pathway, while encouraging and incentivising football clubs to continue developing talent in the women’s game,”
”The money is paid out with the intention of enabling beneficiary clubs to create a high-performance environment for the best players in the world and to invest in developing women’s football at grassroots level.
France 2019 is the first FIFA Women’s World Cup where professional and grassroots clubs have benefitted from receiving solidarity funding, which was introduced by FIFA to directly support and reward clubs in the development of players who play at the tournament.
Based on the principle of rewarding clubs for providing players with a professional football pathway, 50 per cent of the funding has been distributed to clubs that released players for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019.
Chief women’s football officer at FIFA Sarai Bareman added, “Building on the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup last year, the solidarity funding distributed as a result of the tournament will provide much-needed additional financial support for many women’s football clubs around the world,”
“With USD 1 billion already committed to women’s football over the next four-year cycle in the lead-up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, the solidarity funds distributed will play an important role in providing more opportunities for women and girls to play football, as well as rewarding and giving back to 822 training and grassroots clubs for the vital role they played in developing the stars of last summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“At a time when many clubs around the world impacted by the current coronavirus pandemic, FIFA is looking to continue the long-term investment we are making in the women’s game, as well as the momentum and the interest generated last summer.
“Through the additional development funding that has now been distributed, we hope that this supports clubs and MAs in the important role they play in the growth of women’s football and will encourage them to continue to invest in the sport in the future.
“The growth of women’s football requires a joint effort at all levels if we are to build a strong and sustainable future for the women’s game. Only together can we realise the full potential of women’s football and truly bring the game to all.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
