Alioune Toure takes charge of Wydad Football Academy in new youth development project

Alioune Toure, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City player, has been appointed sporting director of Wydad Football Academy as the Moroccan club begins a new phase in its youth development programme.

The French coach of Malian origin will oversee efforts to strengthen the training structure at one of Morocco’s most successful clubs. Wydad is the most decorated team in the Botola Pro, with 35 titles, and has also won the Coupe du Trone over a period of 30 years.

The appointment represents Toure’s third football project in Africa, following his work with Paris Saint-Germain Academy in Senegal and Etoiles du Mande in Mali.

In an exclusive interview with Africafoot, Toure discussed his career on the continent and outlined his ambitions for his new role in Morocco.

A new project at Wydad

Toure moved into coaching after a playing career that included time at Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. In 2012, he joined Chinese top-flight club Shanghai Shenhua as an assistant coach.

His responsibilities at Wydad Football Academy will focus on the development of young players and the wider organisation of the club’s training programme. The project is intended to give Wydad’s academy fresh momentum while helping prepare players for the professional game.

Toure’s own pathway into football began at Clairefontaine, where he spent time between 1992 and 1994. He joined the FC Nantes academy in 1995 before progressing into the club’s performance group and making his way into Ligue 1.

He later continued his playing career with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, experiences that now inform his approach to developing younger footballers.

Building future champions

The new Wydad director will use his experience of elite football and academy structures to help produce players capable of reaching the highest level.

His previous work at Paris Saint-Germain Academy and Etoiles du Mande has already involved developing players who went on to enter professional football. The Moroccan project gives him another opportunity to establish a pathway from youth football to the senior game.

Wydad remains one of the leading clubs in the Kingdom of Morocco, making the academy role a significant part of Toure’s wider work in African football.

Toure’s third African venture

After his projects in Senegal and Mali, Toure will continue his involvement in football development in Africa through his appointment in Casablanca.

The move comes as Morocco’s football system has become increasingly structured, particularly in the area of youth development. Toure views the country as a major football nation with the foundations required to support the growth of young players.

He also pointed to the influence of Fouzi Lekjaa, the president of the Federation Royale Marocaine de Football, in the development of football in the Kingdom.

Morocco’s progress has contributed to several youth trophies on the continent, as well as a FIFA U-20 World Cup title. Toure believes the Moroccan league and its development systems compare favourably with major European competitions.

His task at Wydad Football Academy will now be to translate that potential into a stronger, more effective pathway for the club’s next generation.