In a move that has been described and lauded as ‘long overdue and very necessary’, the leadership of The African Football Club has launched a major initiative aimed at re-aligning football persons of African origin, who are based outside of the continent with the African continent.
The Project, to be known as African Football in Diaspora was created with a view to protect, promote and empower Africans in football, wherever they may be in the world. It will also be established to seek the growth and development of the game of football, utilising the strength of Africans who are plying their trade in football outside of Africa.
Brainchild of the Captain of the African Football Club, who is also the Lead Project Director of the AFD campaign, Dr ‘Tunde Adelakun, AFiD recognises the fact that ‘millions of Africans and people of African heritage outside of the continent are involved as players, coaches, administrators, scouts, entrepreneurs and even supporters and other professionals. This community represents a significant resource for the continued development and global advancement of African football.
Headquartered in the United Kingdom, AFiD has drawn its leadership and other operatives from the crux of the football family in various parts of the world, who care about the continent, and want to use their positions to enhance and build the name and image of Africa in the football world, show care for plight, welfare and professional growth of fellow Africans in the world of football.
‘We will be launching important sub-projects like DIAFOMS (a Diaspora Football Monitoring Mentoring and Support) which, as the name implies, will be responsible for the support of African Diaspora football persons in all cadres, in all areas. We will also have a scouting program, where, national federations that subscribe to us will be able to access detailed information about our growing rich database of quality talent, worldwide, of African talent, where we will have divided them into respective countries of their origin, and providing them with a possible pathway into representing their nations of origin’, Dr Adelakun said.
‘But also, we will never take our sights off of football persons of African descent, even if they had represented, or are representing other nations. This is because an African will always be an African, and there is no time that we can not find any African to be of value to our cause’, he continued.
‘And it is a two-way street. AFiD will also be looking after the well-being of all our African brothers and sisters in football – when they are doing well, and even when they are facing challenges – injuries or career progression issues’.
Everyone can belong……send an email to af-diaspora@