Golden Goal Regional Centres

As part of my Golden Goal Project launched in my name in World Cup year, we will establish Centres of Excellence in each of our other regional capitals Koury, Addad, and Hassan. we already have a National Centre here in Alami. This will allow us to bring the most talented players together and spread our influence along the coast and into the rural areas of Gratifacio. We will also invest heavily in a new Rural Football League system which will exploit the popularity of the game.

My inspiration for developing regional Centres of Excellence came from a visit to the Aspire Academy in Qatar. I thought why not have one of these in each of our regions in Gratifacio? We are a bigger nation than Qatar.

The Aspire academy provides a holistic approach to football development, focusing not only on technical skills but also on personal development and education. Their programme includes academic education, sports training, nutrition, mental conditioning, and personal development, all of which help young athletes to reach their full potential on and off the field. They have state-of-the-art facilities, which provide optimal training conditions for young athletes. The academy's football pitches are equipped with the latest technology, including artificial turf and floodlights, to provide a high-quality training environment. The academy also has an indoor training facility, which allows for year-round training regardless of weather conditions.

In addition to providing a world-class training environment, the Aspire Academy also helps to identify and recruit talented young footballers from across the country. The academy has a network of scouts and coaches who identify potential talent at a young age and invite them to join the academy's development program. This is how we can go one step better here in Gratifacio

Scout talent. We build a network of scouts who are responsible for identifying potential talent in the regions, the national centre and around the world. These scouts attend local football matches, tournaments, and youth leagues to identify players who show promise.

Assess the talent. Once aa player is identified, they are invited to attend an assessment at the Regional Centre. The assessment involves a series of tests, including physical fitness, technical skills, and tactical understanding, to evaluate the player's potential.

Put them through trials. Players who perform well in the assessments are invited to attend a trial at the academy. The trial involves training and playing with the academy's teams, allowing coaches to evaluate the player's potential in a competitive environment.

Track performance. We use data and performance analysis to evaluate players and identify areas for improvement. This includes tracking the player's progress over time and identifying specific areas of their game that need development.

LTDP. Once a player is identified as having potential, they are enrolled in the academy's long-term development program. This program provides a holistic approach to football development, including education, nutrition, mental conditioning, and personal development, to help the player reach their full potential

Dr Tanan Mansouri, 

FFG President