The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) is making big moves in developing future football stars.
Following FIFA’s 2020 ecosystem analysis, which reviewed strengths and weaknesses of football structures worldwide, SIFF identified key areas to improve—including national teams, talent identification, domestic competitions, and academies.
SIFF Technical Director Moses Toata revealed that together with the support from FIFA the academy project was pursued under FIFA’s Talent Development Scheme (TDS) and will be launched sometime in February.
With guidance from FIFA High-Performance Expert April Heinrichs the football governing body has deployed a Football Talent Identification Coach, Jake Stephenson who is in the country for a year contract setting the ground alongside the SIFF Technical team.
The academy concept is to focus on finding, training, and preparing top talents for elite competitions, with a simple goal to build a stronger national team by developing and nurturing young talent.
To achieve this, SIFF has recruited an Academy Manager, Head Coach, Assistant Coaches, and a JICA volunteer assigned to support the academy setup.
FIFA’s development experts continue to assist in ensuring the academy reaches its full potential.
This week, eight U-15 talents from Malaita, Central, Western, and Choiseul Provinces were identified during the 2024 Iumi Play Championship. They have now arrived in Honiara, where SIFF Academy will accommodate them and arrange their academic schooling. These young players are the pioneers of the project.
With this structured program in place, SIFF is confident that Solomon Islands football will see long-term success on the international stage.
