Governing Bodies
FIFA GENERAL SECRETARY, FATMA SAMOURA ENDS TENURE IN CAF
The six-month mission agreed between FIFA and CAF to help accelerate the implementation of the reform process in the African governing body has been completed with the delivery of a set of findings, recommendations and proposals.
Since August last year, FIFA General Secretary, Fatma Samoura had been seconded to assist in instilling corporate governance in CAF.
The various conclusions were presented to the CAF Executive Committee at their meeting held in Rabat, Morocco, this Sunday, where it was decided that the implementation of these recommendations with be further analyzed and this new phase will focus on four areas:
Refereeing: The creation of a group of professional referees financed and organized by FIFA in partnership with CAF;
Infrastructures: The mobilisation of a minimum fund of USD1bn to invest in infrastructures in all the 54 African member associations;
Competitions: To seek a range of new initiatives on women’s football, youth categories, national teams and club competitions, including a pan-African League in line with the strategy presented by the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, at yesterday’s seminar; and
Good governance: To implement, by CAF’s relevant bodies, the 100-point action plan proposed by the independent task force formed in September 2019 comprising Abdoulaye Diop (Mali; Chief of Staff of the Bureau of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali), Hossam El Shafei (Egypt; audit and anti-corruption expert), Janet Katisya (Kenya; Independent (FIFA) Ethics Committee investigatory chamber member), Martin Ngoga (Rwanda; Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), Independent (FIFA) Ethics Committee deputy chairman and former Rwanda Prosecutor-General) and Anin Yeboah (Ghana; Chief Justice of Ghana, FIFA Disciplinary Committee chairman and former Independent (FIFA) Ethics Committee adjudicatory chamber member).
At the meeting, FIFA Secretary-General Fatma Samoura, who had the role of FIFA General Delegate for Africa between 1 August 2019 and 1 February 2020, and who steered this task in cooperation with CAF General Secretary Mouad Hajji, presented the outcome of the work made by the group of experts, which focused on three pillars:
Good governance, financial management and internal procedures;
Efficient and professional organisation of competitions; and
Growth and development of African football.
Finally, as agreed at the beginning of the mission, a forensic audit report produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) was presented. FIFA is satisfied that the joint effort made with CAF was done and delivered within the initial proposed time frame and reiterates FIFA’s commitment to be at the disposal of African football to assist in the process of raising its level to the top of the world.
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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