How former Senegalese goalkeeper built the first goalkeeping training centre in West Africa
The Kana00 Goalkeeping Training created in 2005 by former Jaraaf FC goalkeeper, Khalifa Babacar Fall is the first Goalkeeping Training Center in West Africa. The centre is the major producer of top goalkeepers in Senegal.
Khalifa Babacar Fall commonly known as Kana was born on January 19, 1970, in Guediawaye, Senegal. He was a former goalkeeper of Jaraaf FC from 1998-2000. He played alongside Senegalese footballers such as Henry Camara and the late Pape Bouba Diop. He is also a goalkeeper Coach Trainer. Khalifa Babacar Fall is the current Teungueth FC goalkeeper coach. He was the coach of the Senegal U20 goalkeepers.
Khalifa Babacar Fall started the centre with six goalkeepers. Today, the centre has more than 230 goalkeepers divided into 4 categories coming from different destinations in Senegal, mostly from the remote regions of Senegal. Some of the goalkeepers are from neighbouring countries like the Gambia and Guinea. “We train every day, morning and evening inAmadou Barry ‘s stadium in Guediawaye,” said Khalifa Babacar Fall.
“It all started in 2002 when I got injured. I had a fatal road accident and had a broken shinbone. In 2005, I decided to create a training centre for goalkeepers. No one believed my idea. In addition, I had absolutely nothing at all.
Khalifa Babacar Fall speaking to Boubacar Dieme of The African Dream
The observation is striking. Local Football has been provided with good goalkeepers for some time. Some cross borders to cash their talents elsewhere. The most recent signing from the centre was Boubacar Fall to Saint Étienne.
The French club wrote with joy to sign “a great hope of African Football at his post”. Claude Puel, coach of Saint Étienne, said “he has a very big potential and corresponds well to what we want for Saint Ètienne ASSE.”
Boubacar Fall, former Guediawaye Espoirs goalkeeper is the second goalkeeper from the U20 National Team to sign for a French club after Diaby Kobaly Ndiaye transferred from Cayor Foot to Stade Reims in July 2020.
Two goalkeepers have only the passage from an amateur club to the elite of French Football via the National U20 Team. They came from the same goalkeeper factory, at the Goalkeeper Training Center of Kana Fall ( Kana00 ). A lot of clubs looking for quality goalkeepers come to us. Today, I can say, in all modesty, that we are the big supplier of goalkeepers to Senegal Clubs. Moussa Sarr ( Teungueth FC), Mouhamadou Dembelé ( Casa Sport), Pape Niang ( Dakar Renaissance), Mouhamed Faye ( Saloum), Cheikh Fall Babou ( Oslo) who is recently
Khalifa Babacar Fall speaking to Boubacar Dieme of The African Dream
The staff at the goalkeeping training centre are made up of more than six coaches: Kana Fall, Aliou Badara Sow, Mbaye Babacar, Ouleye Dieye, Der, Tapha Dramé, Sidy Badji, and high-level football experts. These are the masons of the centre because it is they who operate the training centre for goalkeepers.
