体坛英语新闻：FIFA seminar on African football development opens in Ghana

ACCRA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- The maiden FIFA seminar for general secretaries and technical directors of 17 African football associations opened here on Monday.

The four-day conference are scheduled to discuss new managerial skills of the general secretaries and revive the technical abilities of the technical directors.

It will also provide a platform for organizers to interact with participants to undertake advance strategies towards the development of football on the continent.

Opening the seminar, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Nii Nortey Dua urged participants to exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

He lauded FIFA for the confidence reposed in Ghana to host the extraordinary seminar.

Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), praised the world football governing body for its commitment to building the competence of African national associations.

He explained that, as general secretaries and technical directors were pillars in the management of football, it was vital that they were fully equipped with the indispensable know-how needed for the development of the game.

"As we undergo such training and knowledge building seminars, we must ensure that our various associations improve and stay at par with others," he added.

Thierry Regenass, FIFA director of national associations and development, told the opening ceremony that it was important for the soccer governing body to interact with various football associations to aid in the development agenda of the game.

He noted that such meetings benefited the game as it was intended to help plan towards the development of football on the continent while keeping abreast with changes in the game.

The roundtable discussion is committed to sharing ideas geared at improving the administrative and technical structure of the sport in Africa.

It will also seek to keep participants abreast with FIFA's development programs and grand plans for football.

The GFA will also make a presentation on the second day of the seminar which ends on Thursday.