FIFA's announcement of the inaugural FIFA Series international friendlies for March 2024 has sparked discussion as Ghana's Black Stars find themselves conspicuously absent from the list of participating African teams.
The FIFA Series, aimed at providing member associations with regular opportunities to face national teams from other continents, will see four national teams from each confederation converge in one country for the inaugural event next month.
Despite FIFA allocating six slots to African countries for the inaugural edition, Ghana's absence has raised eyebrows. Instead, Algeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, and the Central African Republic have been selected to represent the continent.
Notably, other prominent African teams like Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Nigeria were also left out of the initial selection, despite their stature in African football.
FIFA has emphasized that the FIFA Series will unlock technical development opportunities for member associations and provide additional commercial opportunities and exposure.
The pilot Series is scheduled to run from March 18 to March 26, 2024, marking a significant moment for international football as teams from different continents come together for these FIFA-backed international friendlies.
