Kwilu Foot writing inspiration chapter of Congo DR women’s football story
About 150km outside Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kwilu Football Academy also known as ‘’Kwilu Foot’’ is writing a new chapter of Congolese women’s football.
The Academy is in the City of Kwilu-Ngongo, Province of Kongo Central.
“We want to make a difference," said Diego Lacroix, the academy's manager. "We have the support of CAF and, with FECOFA, we really want to make a difference! It's time for women's football to get the tools it needs to reach its maximum potential.”
Formed in August 2021, the academy financed by Compagnie Sucrière as part of its CSR policy now houses 28 young girls aged 12 to 20 years. Kwilu Foot aims to develop future women’s football stars in Congo but also to promote youth education in the surrounding communities.
As part of CAF's commitment to developing women's football in Africa, Kwilu Foot will get assistance in the form of technical instructors and qualified coaches. This is also in line with CAF's objective to invest in youth and focus on school football in Africa.
CAF is working closely with the Zones and Member Associations in Africa to empower similar projects and create capacity.
Lacroix added: “Education is as important as football. We try pay individual attention to each person as the academic needs of one girl to the other differ. Therefore, if the school results are not as good as expected, the girl concerned might spend more time in the class than on the football pitches in comparison with her teammates. The older girls study subjects as business, science, pedagogy, electricity or cutting and sewing. We have a specific sewing workshop allowing the girls to practice a lot even when they are not at school. ‘’
The selection of the girls for the first class (2022-2023) was made at the end of the Mama Foot Festival, an annual tournament organized since 2021 and whose objective is to see teams from the villages surrounding the sugar mill compete. The third edition, held last March, saw the participation of 250 girls, divided into 10 teams.
The program for the resident student-players consists of training sessions 4 times a week, with free time on Wednesday afternoons to study or rest. The girls' group is divided into 2 teams: U15 (Soso'Kwilu) & U20 (Mama'Kwilu). Every Saturday, matches are organized against teams from cities located within a maximum 2-hour drive and during the vacations, the teams participate in football matches or tournaments in Kinshasa, Matadi, Boma or Moanda. These longer trips also allow the girls to discover the country.
For the next few months, the girls' academic success will be the main priority of Kwilu Foot. The goal is to put all girls on the same educational level regardless of their home village. The implementation of a regular local championship in the area will also provide more opportunities for the girls to play.