AMCI Hosts Second “Sport, Football and African Integration” Conference at AFCON 2025 Fan Zone

The Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI) on Wednesday organised the second conference themed “Sport, Football and African Integration” as part of activities at the AMCI Fan Zone for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025.

Held under the “Inspire & Debate” conference series, the event was designed for international students and graduates in Morocco and reflects the Kingdom’s continued commitment—under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI—to supporting African youth and strengthening continental integration.

The conference took place at the International University City of Rabat and attracted over 250 participants, including African ambassadors accredited to Morocco, senior institutional officials, private sector stakeholders and a large number of international students.

High-Level Participation

The opening session was chaired by Mohamed Methqal, Ambassador and Director General of AMCI, and featured contributions from several high-profile speakers, including:

Younes Sekkouri, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills

Abdelmalek Alaoui, Economist and Founder & CEO of GUEPARD Group

Cedrick Esteban Aghey, Director of Legal Affairs and Compliance, CAF

Franciny Samba, Head of the FIFA Regional Office

William Mbiakop, Founder of the African Sports & Creative Institute (ASCI)

Umubyeyi Ernestine, a Rwandan student benefiting from Morocco’s academic cooperation programme and participant in the women’s sporting raid Sahraouiya in Dakhla

Sport as a Tool for African Integration

Discussions during the conference emphasised the strategic role of sport—particularly football—as a catalyst for African integration, people-to-people engagement and the promotion of solidarity, inclusion and South–South cooperation.

Speakers also highlighted the importance of public policies, institutional collaboration and youth-focused investment in transforming sport into a sustainable driver of development and continental cohesion.

Youth Engagement and Dialogue

The event featured interactive exchanges between students and panelists on key issues such as:

Youth employability through sports-related professions

Training and mobility opportunities across Africa

Sport’s role in social inclusion and cohesion

Prospects for regional sports cooperation and partnerships

Looking Ahead

Through the Inspire & Debate series, AMCI reaffirmed its commitment to active, solidarity-based South–South cooperation, placing youth empowerment, dialogue and experience-sharing at the centre of its mission, in line with Morocco’s Royal Vision for an emerging and sustainable Africa.

Two additional conferences are scheduled as part of the series:

Monday, January 12 (6:00 p.m.) – “Innovation, Digital Transformation and the Future of African Sport”

Friday, January 16 (6:00 p.m.) – “Morocco 2030: An African Ambition”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

See Full Bio