LaLiga and Cosafa team up again

The two footballing organisations are once again coming together to uplift and upskill the world of football.

Spanish football league giants LaLiga, in collaboration with the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA), will once again give young Africans an opportunity of a lifetime, by giving two players from the COSAFA U17 girl’s tournament - which is currently happening in PE - the exciting chance to go to Spain and experience how development teams work in a new country, on a new continent.

They might even get the chance to watch one of their favourite LaLiga teams in person!

This isn’t the first time LaLiga and COSAFA have partnered. Sue Destombes, COSAFA General Secretary, speaks about the importance of these kinds of experiences: “This kind of exposure is crucial for young players as it gives them the opportunity to further develop their skills and brush shoulders with some of the league’s best players. This kind of real-life experience is something that many young players could only dream of.”

The success of these kinds of initiatives is evident in the way in which they develop teams within the LaLiga clubs - five out of the seven most productive academies in the big leagues belong to LaLiga clubs. Some of the league’s most prominent players have graduated from either La Masia, Lezama or Fábrica. In fact, former Real Madrid player Iker Casillas started in La Fábrica and worked his way through all the categories until he made it into the league, such is the same for La Masia product Lionel Messi and Lezama protige who is current Chelsea and Spanish international, Kepa Arrizabalaga.

This project will also be implemented for the U17 men’s tournament, which will be played later this month.

LaLiga and COSAFA sign memorandum of understanding

LaLiga and COSAFA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to make their partnership official. Under the terms of this MOU, they will be organising activities (like the U17 women and men’s trips), conferences, and workshops around the Souhern Africa.

These conferences and workshops will be aimed at enhancing leadership, corporate governance, and sport management by leveraging the skills of both organisations. They will also focus on commercial and marketing approaches, match organisation, security and international communication, and digital strategies.

Marcos Pelegrin, LaLiga Southern Africa Managing Director, is looking forward to seeing how the partnership will impact football in Southern Africa. “We have a lot planned for this collaboration from a leadership, marketing, and training perspective. It’s going to make a real difference on the ground for players and fans.”

This isn’t the first time LaLiga and COSAFA have partnered. Sue Destombes, COSAFA General Secretary, highlights how the two organisations’ collaborations have impacted football communities: “We are excited to explore the potential that this collaboration has to offer. Our existing partnerships in Africa have already shown us what can be achieved when we work together, and we look forward to continuing this positive change within Africa for years to come.”