FIFA through the FIFA Forward Program is funding the renovation and rehabilitation of the National Technical Centre of the Ivorian football Federation (FIF) in Bingerville, 10-kilomretres east of the capital Abidjan which will serves as the training and operation centre for all Ivorian national teams.

The new technical centre will boast of a medical centre, a gym of 400 square meters, a storage facility, food court, meeting rooms, a 30-room residential unit, modernised swimming pools and training facilities.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Thursday with the presence of the President of the Ivorian Senate Kandia Camara, FIF President Mr Yacine Idriss Diallo, CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba and FIFA Deputy Chief Member Associations Director, and Regional Director for Africa Gelson Fernandes.

The renovation is expected to cost more than USD 4 million funded exclusively by the FIFA Forward program, which supports developmental projects in Member Associations.

"We are celebrating an historic moment. The laying of the first brick of the renovated national centre of the Ivorian Football Federation. This symbolic act marks the beginning of an ambitious project bringing dynamism and guaranteeing a future for football in Cote d Ivoire,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

"Once fully renovated, this centre will not only be a national football centre, it will become a real symbol of hope and opportunity, a springboard for young players, coaches and football enthusiasts, which will fly the flag for Cote d Ivoire and the whole of Africa during international competitions" Infantino added.

FIF President Diallo eulogised his predecessors for their visionary effort towards the realisation of this dream.

“This centre was initially created by my predecessor, Jacques Anouma. At the time, there were ambitions to make it a high-level national centre.

"Unfortunately, after its construction, it remained somewhat stagnant. When we came in, we ensured it was going to be a strong project, to truly offer full capacities for young people.

"It is a centre dedicated to the training of both girls and boys. For us, it is an essential tool for the development of elite youth football," Diallo said.

The ceremony was graced by more than 25 presidents of African Football Associations notably Alfred Randriamanampisoa (Madagascar), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Ibrahim Musa Gusau (Nigeria), Mathurin de Chacus (Benin), Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas (Congo) amongst others.

Created in 2016 by FIFA President Infantino, the FIFA Forward is the largest and biggest sport development programme in the world, seeks to redistribute FIFA revenues equally among the 211 Member Associations.

The core idea is three-fold: Increase the investment into football development worldwide; Achieve more impact with specific and tailor-made projects; and make sure to have more oversight to ensure that the investment in football develop is transparent, carefully managed and effective.

The five main areas where funds are used are: Infrastructure/ Capacity building/ competition/ National teams & subventions and there are other specific projects defending on each Federations’ needs.

In line with its strategy to make football truly global.

By the end of 2026, FIFA will have invested a record-breaking figure of USD 5 billion in football development projects across the world.