Bayern Munich have opened their first football school in Africa, the German giants announced Wednesday, with the new facility located in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa.

The reigning Bundesliga champions announced that they had signed a deal with the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF), launching a partnership which will involve coaching exchanges and the development of local players.

The club have launched similar projects in Singapore, China, Thailand, Japan and the USA in recent years, but this is the first such school they have opened in Africa.

“The FC Bayern Football School in Ethiopia will allow us to get closer to our fans in Africa and to make an important contribution to the development of football in Africa,” said Bayern’s head of internationalisation and strategy Joerg Wacker.

Wacker opened the school, which hosted an under-17 tournament in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, alongside former Bayern striker Giovane Elber and Bavarian Minister President Markus Soeder, who is in Ethiopia on a diplomatic trip.