Saudi Arabia and Mauritania football bodies agree to collaborate on development

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation and the Mauritania Football Federation have signed a memorandum of understanding to focus on the game’s development.

The agreement between the FFRIM and SAFF will focus on the education of coaches, infrastructure development, training of referees, including for VAR technology, as well as the organization of friendly matches, notably for women’s football.

Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the SAFF, said: “We are delighted to work closer with the Mauritanian Football Federation, especially after the exemplary work they have done the last few years under the leadership and good governance of President (Ahmed) Yahya, as evidenced by the back-to-back qualifications of their national teams to major continental competitions, as well as the quality of infrastructure they have established in their country.”

Yahya added: “We have experienced firsthand the know-how of our Saudi colleagues not only in football development but also in hosting football competitions, as we just took part in the Beach Soccer Arab Cup and the Futsal Championships held in the Kingdom. We look forward to increasing our football exchanges with Saudi Arabia for the benefit of our youngsters.”

Both federations are striving to improve the world rankings of their men’s national teams — 105 for Mauritania and 54 for Saudi Arabia — but also offer more opportunities for their youth teams to play each other.