The MimoSifcom Talent Factory

“Sol Beni”, reads a bright yellow signboard on the entrance to the biggest football influencer in Ivory Coast. Loosely translated to ‘blessed soil’, the MimoSifcom academy in the country’s capital city, Abidjan, has provided the national football team some of its finest talent that has been dubbed as the “golden generation” – a generation that took the country to their first World Cup finals in 2006 as well as hoisting the African Cup of Nations in 2015. 

The MimoSifcom academy was founded in 1993 by Jean-Marc Guillou – the former French international – and Roger Ouégnin and they work hand-in-hand with ASEC Mimosas, the club many of their younger players go on to represent when they reach the right age. ASEC Mimosas are the most successful club in Ivory Coast, and it’s only right that they have the right stream of talent coming through and playing for them, with the MimoSifcom academy being a great feeder of players. 

For years, players from many African nations – Ivory Coast included – have left their nations and gone on to play in Europe at very young ages, but the academy and ASEC work together to give them competitive action locally, before sending them on to the more difficult leagues.

The academy has been praised around the world for years, as they integrate sporting growth with education, teaching many of their young players skills other than football in order to ensure that there is as little risk to their future prospects in life. However, when it comes to football, they go all out and are second to none in the country.