Season
30 May 2026
This partnership reflects a commitment to promoting Congo and its capital, Brazzaville, as a tourist destination and to fostering the country’s economic and cultural development. This is achieved in part through increased television exposure thanks to the presence of the club’s professional men’s and women’s teams, as well as its youth academy teams, on the jerseys.
Furthermore, Olympique Lyonnais and OL Lyonnes will operate a mixed-gender football academy at the Kintele site, featuring modernized facilities. This academy will share the high quality of Lyon’s training programs in Africa, becoming the only academy for both clubs on the continent. The training provided will benefit the Congolese national team in the long term.
With this partnership, the Republic of Congo aims to open its doors to the world, not only as a destination to visit, but also as a country with which economic ties can be forged.
At the beginning of August 2025, Michele Kang, President of Olympique Lyonnais and OL Lyonnes, presented the main principles of this partnership to the President of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou N’Guesso, who was very pleased with the stated ambition and convinced of the very positive impact this agreement would have on his country’s image.
“We are delighted and very proud to establish this unique partnership with Congo. Seeing Congo represented in both men’s and women’s national competitions demonstrates football’s unparalleled ability to unite people across continents. Finally, allowing our training experts to share their skills with younger generations in Africa is a true testament to the confidence placed in our coaches and the quality of Lyon’s training program,” stated Michele Kang, President of Olympique Lyonnais and OL Lyonnes.
Photos: Damien LG / Lyubomir Domozetski
