Morocco’s Lekjaa says shelving FIFA Forward Enterprise protects football unity

Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), has welcomed Gianni Infantino’s decision to withdraw the proposal for the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” project, saying it will help protect unity within the international football community.

Lekjaa’s comments follow a similar reaction from Ahmed Yahya, president of the Mauritanian Football Federation. Yahya had also expressed support for the withdrawal, describing it as a decision that would allow dialogue and cohesion to continue among FIFA’s member associations.

The response from the Moroccan federation places the emphasis on cooperation between national football bodies at a time when the proposed project had created differences within the FIFA community. Lekjaa said the priority should be to preserve the unity of what he called the wider football family.

In his statement, the FRMF president highlighted the progress made in recent years through FIFA’s development programmes. He referred particularly to the FIFA Forward programme, which he described as an important achievement for football federations, especially those in Africa.

Lekjaa argued that the gains made through those initiatives should be protected. His comments linked the future of football development to the need for member associations to remain united and involved in decisions affecting the sport internationally.

The withdrawal of the “FIFA Forward Enterprise” proposal was therefore presented by Lekjaa as more than a procedural decision. He said it helped create the conditions for a more inclusive approach and for renewed consensus around the development of football.

The Moroccan official described the move as “wise”, saying it gave priority to participation and collective agreement in the international game. His position mirrors that of Ahmed Yahya, who had welcomed the decision on the grounds that it maintained communication between FIFA’s member associations.

Both reactions followed Gianni Infantino’s decision to remove the proposal from consideration. The project had led to differing views within the FIFA community, while the existing development programmes were presented by Lekjaa as valuable achievements that should not be placed at risk.

For Morocco, the central issue is the preservation of the progress made through FIFA’s development work and the continued unity of national federations. Lekjaa’s statement called for a focus on shared objectives rather than division, with development of football remaining the common point of agreement.

The FRMF president’s support means Morocco has joined Mauritania in publicly welcoming the withdrawal. The two federation leaders have underlined the importance of dialogue, cohesion and participation among the organisations that make up FIFA.

Lekjaa said the decision offered an opportunity to bring the international football community together around development. In his view, removing the proposal was a way to safeguard the achievements of programmes such as FIFA Forward while encouraging a collective approach to the future of the sport.