Strengthened cooperation ties

An official delegation from the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire is in Portugal to accompany the participation of Benfica Campus Côte d'Ivoire's Under-14 team in the prestigious IBERCUP international tournament, which is being held in Estoril – with the teams being presented at the Estádio da Luz – between June 30 and July 6, and met with the management of Sport Lisboa e Benfica, strengthening the connection between the parties.

The delegation, composed of N'Guessan Alfred Yao, Director of the Office of the Deputy Minister for Sports and Quality of Life, Annick Capet Bakou, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Côte d'Ivoire to Portugal, and Lancine Diamondé, Director of Benfica Campus Côte d'Ivoire, presented the progress of this project in the Ivory Coast and strengthened the institutional cooperation ties between the two entities.

The Benfica Campus Ivory Coast Under-14 team consists of 16 talented young Ivorians, aged between 13 and 14, who were identified and trained as part of the project. The athletes are accompanied by a technical team based in the country, responsible for their selection and sporting development, the result of a technical partnership between Sport Lisboa e Benfica and the government of the Ivory Coast.

The presence of these young athletes at IBERCUP aims to provide international competitive experiences, as well as to give visibility to emerging sporting talent in the Ivory Coast. It is another important step in promoting sport as a tool for personal and social development.