Gaza – By Wael Oweida
Football academies in the Gaza Strip, once a cornerstone for nurturing young talent, are struggling to survive amid widespread destruction and severe shortages, even as they continue to offer a rare outlet for children affected by years of conflict.
The academies first emerged as club-led initiatives aimed at identifying and developing promising players to strengthen senior teams. The Al-Hilal Club academy in Gaza City became the first in the enclave to receive official licensing from the Palestinian Football Association in December 2015, setting a precedent later followed by clubs including Gaza Sports Club, Rafah Services, Khan Younis Union and Beach Camp Services.
Over time, said Palestinian coach and lecturer Imad Hashem, the academies evolved into partially commercial ventures while maintaining their core mission of talent development. “Specialised institutions began to emerge, and academies became both investment projects and platforms for producing skilled players,” he said.
Before the war, all academies underwent strict evaluation by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Palestinian Football Association, with licensing contingent on meeting specific criteria, including adequate facilities, qualified coaching staff and certified technical directors holding at least an AFC ‘B’ or ‘A’ coaching licence.
But since the outbreak of war in 2023, nearly all sports infrastructure in Gaza has been devastated. The Palestinian Olympic Committee said in April 2026 that about 98% of sports facilities, including football academies, had been destroyed.
Despite the damage, a small number of academies—along with newly established ones operating with minimal resources—have resumed limited activities. Coaches continue to train children and scout talent despite acute shortages of equipment such as kits, balls and boots.
Hashem expressed confidence that a new generation would still emerge.
He pointed to several Palestinian players who rose through similar systems, including Hamed Hamdan, now with Egypt’s Pyramids FC, Mohammed Saleh of Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, and Khaled Al-Nabris, who recently moved from Ismaily to Ceramica Cleopatra, all of whom have represented the Palestinian national team.
However, football analyst and coach Imad Baroud offered a more cautious assessment. He said that while academies in Gaza had been nearing “a stage of maturity” before the war, they were not yet operating at optimal standards. “There were structured training strategies and a supportive football culture,” he said, “but the war has swept all that away.”
Baroud said academies had lost many young talents, either killed in the conflict or displaced, while survivors often suffer from deep psychological trauma that hinders their return to sport. “These children urgently need psychological support programmes,” he said, noting that current conditions make it difficult for academies to function normally and limit their chances of success.
He added that the absence of oversight by the Palestinian Football Association and the lack of resources have further undermined the system. While some academies resumed operations after a ceasefire agreement in October 2025, Baroud described their return as “a mutual necessity,” with academy owners seeking income and parents hoping to help children cope with stress—sometimes at the expense of structured talent development.
“The problem lies in mixing talented players with those simply seeking emotional relief,” he said. “Neither group is getting what it truly needs.”
In the southern Gaza area of al-Mawasi in Khan Younis, coach Islam Abu Arida has taken a different approach. In June 2026, he set up a makeshift academy on a sandy field near a displacement camp, reminiscent of the rudimentary pitches used in the early 1990s.
The academy has drawn large numbers of children aged between five and 17. “I was hesitant at first due to the harsh conditions and families’ inability to pay fees of 50 to 60 shekels,” Abu Arida said. “But the turnout was overwhelming.”
He acknowledged that his primary goal was to provide children with a safe outlet and a sense of normalcy. While the project carries a modest financial aspect to cover costs, he allows children from disadvantaged families to participate free of charge. “The main aim is to see smiles on their faces,” he said.
Training takes place on uneven ground that “can hardly be called a pitch,” he added, as efforts continue to level the surface and make it playable. Abu Arida is also seeking institutional support to help cover expenses and provide basic equipment.
Such grassroots initiatives have received encouragement from the Palestinian Football Association, which recognises their social and psychological importance. Mustafa Siam, head of the association’s media department, said the new academies are largely informal but play a vital role under current conditions.
“They have not obtained official accreditation and rely on individual efforts,” Siam said, “but they are important in giving children space to play and release their energy.”
He added that the association has recently contacted academies licensed before the war to update their status, with plans to reintegrate them into club competitions or organise dedicated tournaments, particularly for players born in 2009, seen as a key age group for future development.
Siam acknowledged that meeting licensing requirements—such as having dedicated facilities, qualified coaching staff and financial systems—remains difficult at present. Still, he said the association aims to gradually restore pre-war standards.
“Developing youth categories remains a priority,” he said. “Building a player starts at the academy level.”
An academy on sand
Differences in perspective between coaches Imad Hashem and Imad Baroud did not deter Islam Abu Arida, a coach with Rafah Services Club, from launching his own initiative—an academy with facilities that appear unusual, even striking, evoking the early 1990s when matches in Gaza were played on sandy pitches.
After a period of reflection, and amid widespread psychological strain and displacement, Abu Arida opened a football academy in late June 2026 on a sandy field in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where he is currently displaced.
The academy has attracted a large number of players across age groups, ranging from five to 17 years old.
“I was hesitant at first because of the harsh conditions,” Abu Arida said. “Most families cannot afford fees of 50 to 60 shekels, but I was surprised by the overwhelming turnout. My wife even asked me to find a place away from the tent just to handle the volume of calls from parents wanting to register their children.”
Abu Arida said his primary motivation in establishing the “Al-Najma Academy” was to provide an outlet for children and families passionate about football, helping them release psychological stress—particularly those who watch from behind fences, unable to participate.
While the project carries a modest commercial aspect to cover basic costs, he said he does not hesitate to admit children whose families cannot afford the fees, allowing them to train free of charge. “My main goal is to see smiles on children’s faces,” he said.
Training takes place on ground that “can hardly be described as a pitch,” with ongoing efforts to level the surface and make it suitable for running and ball movement.
At the same time, Abu Arida is seeking institutional support to help cover field rental costs and provide sportswear, aiming to ease the financial burden on players and their families.
His academy, along with others that have emerged recently, has received encouragement from the Palestinian Football Association, which recognises their educational, psychological and sporting role in alleviating stress among children.
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Gaza football academies face mounting challenges as war tests young players’ dreams
Aggregated summary from an independent source. Read the original at PNN.