Saturday 21 / September / 2024
Mexico City: Senegal's Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, a United Nations veteran, became the first woman to be named as secretary general of soccer's world governing body FIFA on Friday.
The 52-year-old, currently the U.N. Development Programme Resident Representative in Nigeria, will be responsible for the day-to-day running of FIFA which has been battered by corruption scandals over the past few years.
Her appointment was announced at FIFA's Congress by president Gianni Infantino, elected in February to lead the soccer federation out of the worst graft scandal in its history.
"Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time," he said in a statement issued by FIFA.
"Importantly for FIFA, she also understands that transparency and accountability are at the heart of any well-run and responsible organisation.
"It is essential for FIFA to incorporate fresh perspectives -- from outside the traditional pool of football executives -- as we continue to restore and rebuild our organisation," he added.
Samoura began her United Nations career with the World Food Programme in Rome in 1995 and has served as country representative or director in six African countries.
"FIFA is taking a fresh approach to its work -- and I am eager to play a role in making that approach as effective and lasting as possible," she said.
Ban lifted
Indonesia's suspension from international soccer for government interference in the country's football federation has ended after almost a year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on Friday.
However, the FIFA Congress confirmed the existing suspensions for Kuwait and Benin over government interference in their football associations.
Infantino told delegates the decision on Indonesia, one of Asia's biggest soccer markets, was taken by the FIFA Council after the government agreed to lift a decree considered to constitute unacceptable interference in the football federation.
"The government of Indonesia has advised us that the decree that was causing the suspension had been lifted," said Infantino.
FIFA stepped in to ban the country in June after a long-running row between the government and the local football association (PSSI) over which teams should be entered into the top flight domestic league.
The government suspended the PSSI after they ignored requests to ban two teams whose owners failed to meet their new governance regulations.
FIFA, after repeated warnings to resolve the row, then banned the country, ruling them out of the joint 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup qualifying campaign
Infantino added that the cases involving Kuwait and Benin would be resolved swiftly.
"I'm very sad to be here and have to propose to you that we suspend two associations," said Infantino. "On the other hand, we need to protect our associations from government interference, it is one of our major tasks."
The Kuwait FA (KFA) was suspended by FIFA in October after soccer's governing body said a draft sports law constituted interference in the nation's football association.
