Saudi and African Football Federations Conclude Women’s Football Workshop
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 20 May 2024: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has concluded a five-day educational workshop focusing on women’s football. The workshop’s purpose was to develop and empower coaches from Saudi Arabia and Africa. In partnership with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Riyadh-based workshop ran from 14 – 18 May with a total of 32 coaches, 16 African coaches from 13 CAF member associations participating alongside 16 coaches from local sports clubs, regional training centers, and the Saudi Arabian Women’s National Teams.
Lamia Bahaian, Vice President of SAFF, said: “The success of this event demonstrates our commitment to fostering the growth and development of women’s football both in Saudi Arabia and across Africa.
“Through these collaborative efforts, we aim to create a strong network of coaches who can share their experiences, support one another, and contribute to the global advancement of women’s football. The enthusiasm and dedication shown by the participants have been truly inspiring, and we are confident that their influence will be felt on and off the field.”
Tailored towards enhancing participants’ coaching capabilities and expertise, the SAFF-CAF workshop included a variety of panel discussions, practical lessons, and theoretical sessions. Key football-related topics covered in the workshop spanned data analytics, female health and injury prevention, leadership and communication, how to build your team, and more.
Lluís Cortés, head coach of the Saudi Arabia Women’s National Team, led the workshop. The workshop also featured Aalia AlRasheed, head of the Women’s Football Department at SAFF, elite international women’s football experts and prominent CAF officials, including the Director of Development, Head of Women’s Football, and Women’s Football Officer.
The latest illustration of their ongoing commitment to foster mutual cooperation and advance football development, the workshop stemmed from the SAFF-CAF collaboration agreement signed in 2023. The CAF member associations represented in Riyadh included Botswana, Burundi, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
To conclude their time in Saudi Arabia, the participants attended the Roshn Saudi League match between Al Nassr and recently-crowned champions Al Hilal at Al Awwal Park Stadium on Friday.
