RABAT, July 18 (xinhua) -- An international symposium on African Football kicked off Tuesday in the Moroccan city of Skhirate to discuss means improving the game across the continent.
Held under the theme "African Football, Our Vision" the symposium sees the participation of key international football officials, including Gianni Infantino, President of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and Ahmad Ahmad, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The two-day forum represents an opportunity to address the current state of football on the continent, reflect on the progress, take stock of the main challenges and propose a blueprint for a common vision towards the development of African football.
In a message to the participants, King Mohammed VI of Morocco said the practice of sport in general, and football in particular, is one of the main pathways to our young people's fulfilment and their integration into the social and economic fabric.
It also means to shield them against all forms of delinquency and extremism, and to spare them the risk of putting their lives and their future in jeopardy by resorting to illegal migration, he added.
He stressed that African football today is called upon, more than ever, to rise to the challenge of modernization and to keep abreast of rapid developments in sports worldwide.
Such a goal cannot be achieved unless governing bodies commit to good governance and unless training is improved and infrastructure upgraded, he pointed out.
