Chad signs LaLiga partnership to develop football and support national academy

Chad’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has signed a multi-year partnership with Spain’s LaLiga to support player development, train football professionals and provide technical advice for a planned national academy.

The agreement was formalised at LaLiga’s headquarters in Madrid during a visit by Chad’s Youth and Sports Minister, Naïr Abakar, accompanied by a delegation, according to a press release dated 1 October 2026.

The programme will proceed in phases, beginning with nationwide talent identification, training and an assessment of the country’s domestic football league. Later stages are intended to bring the academy into operation and implement recommendations for clubs and competitions.

Abakar said the government wanted to improve opportunities for young players, help clubs grow and make the domestic league more competitive.

“Together, we want to build a programme that makes a tangible difference to players’ careers, coaches’ work and the day-to-day running of our clubs,” he said.

Nationwide scouting and professional training

The first phase includes a nationwide campaign to identify football talent and establish a system for monitoring the progress of selected players.

LaLiga will also advise on the design and organisation of the planned National Academy. Coaches, administrators and sports officials are expected to receive training under the programme.

A strategic assessment of the domestic league will examine its development needs and produce recommendations and a roadmap for improvements.

According to the release, this initial work will help establish a shared methodology and identify what clubs and competitions require before the partnership moves into broader operations.

The Chadian delegation’s visit to Madrid included a working session with LaLiga’s project team to plan the next steps.

Academy operations planned for later phases

Subsequent phases are expected to support the academy’s launch and establish continuity in player identification, training and monitoring.

The programme will also help implement recommendations for the league and clubs, with an emphasis on transferring knowledge and skills to Chadian professionals.

Trésor Penku, LaLiga’s managing director in Africa, said the partnership would combine talent development and training with efforts to strengthen local capacity.

He said the aim was to ensure that “the knowledge acquired remains within the country’s football ecosystem and contributes to its long-term development”.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas said the organisation would work alongside local institutions and professionals, adapting its methods to Chad’s circumstances.

The partnership’s stated objectives extend beyond individual players to the administration of clubs and competitions. The ministry and LaLiga say the programme will address priorities identified by Chad in collaboration with its institutions and football community.

LaLiga describes the agreement as a partnership of “unprecedented scope” for the organisation in sub-Saharan Africa. It says it has undertaken more than 1,000 sports development projects in 60 countries since 2015.

The release does not disclose the agreement’s financial value, its precise duration or a timetable for opening the national academy.