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Samoura’s appointment could signal the end of the Fifa ‘old boys’ club’

Samoura’s appointment could signal the end of the Fifa ‘old boys’ club’

Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura became not just the first woman, but the first non-European to be appointed as a senior executive in Fifa’s structures. The new Fifa Secretary General has quite a task on her hands and while she might not have any experience in sport, she certainly has the diplomacy credentials to usher in a new dawn. By ANTOINETTE MULLER.

Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura broke new ground last week when she was announced as the new secretary-general of Fifa. She becomes not only the first female but also the first non-European senior executive in Fifa’s structures as Gianni Infantino continues his ask of revamping Fifa’s shattered image in the wake of the biggest scandal in its history.

Today is a wonderful day for me, and I am honoured to take on the role of Fifa’s Secretary-General,” Samoura said. “I believe this role is a perfect fit for my skills and experience – strategic, high impact team building in international settings – which I will use to help grow the game of football all over the world.

“I also look forward to bringing my experience in governance and compliance to bear on the important reform work that is already underway at Fifa. 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.”

As required by Fifa regulations, Samoura will undergo an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee and will assume the role before mid-June.

On the surface, Samoura’s appointment is historic and should be welcomed as a groundbreaking move that seeks to shatter the perception of football’s world governing body as an old boys’ club and making the sport more inclusive. It is something which is long overdue and it seems staggering that it has taken Fifa over a century to get here.

However, her appointment came as somewhat of a surprise. She was appointed by the council on Infantino’s recommendation and not by all the 211 members. This ruffled a few feathers, although it is not clear whether that is because Infantino is stamping his authority or whether the members feel uncomfortable that her presence means finally chipping away at patriarchy in sport.

The argument against Samoura is that she has no previous in sporting administration. Infantino had always said that he wanted an independent hand as his power, but no sporting independence seems to be a bridge too far for some to accept. That does not mean that Samoura isn’t capable of performing the job at hand.

The role of secretary-general is largely an administrative task. The secretary-general is responsible for implementing the decisions of the Fifa Council – formerly the Executive Committee – as well as taking charge of Fifa’s finances, international relations, the organisation of the World Cup, and other Fifa football competitions.

If there is one part of this job where Samoura certainly has more than enough experience it is with international relations. The 54-year-old Senegalese brings with her more than two decades’ worth of United Nations work. Currently she is the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Co-ordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, where she is in charge of budgets, human resources and procurement, among other things. She oversees almost 2,000 staff members and monitors and evaluates the security, political and socio-economic situation and trends in Africa’s strongest economy.

Samoura started her career at the UN as senior logistics officer with the World Food Programme in Rome, in 1995. She has served as a country representative or director in six countries: Republic of Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar and Nigeria. She speaks four different languages – French, English, Spanish and Italian.

With a Master’s Degree in English and Spanish from the University of Lyon and a Post-Master’s Degree in international relations/international trade from the Institut d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (IECS) Strasbourg-France, her CV is as impressive as you’d get when picking a completely independent voice to help Fifa shake off the scandal that clings to it like stink.

Her experience in diplomacy will be invaluable when it comes to tackling her first task which is likely to focus on persuading Qatar to improve the living and working conditions for the migrant workers constructing the facilities for the 2022 World Cup.

Samoura’s biggest struggle will probably be with understanding the delicate political situations that exist in the footballing world, especially as most of the people in these posts have been sitting comfortably for years.

Her appointment heralds a new era for female administrators in sport, but some caution should remain that this is not simply window dressing by Infantino. It should also be remembered that, should she stumble, it cannot be used an excuse to say that Fifa “at least tried” to be more inclusive.

Considering the circumstance under which her appointment came, Fifa should fully support her through any challenges that she might face and provide her with all the assistance and resources required to make a success of her position.

It is equally important that hers leads to more appointments like this so that Fifa can finally become the truly inclusive and “new” organisation Infantino promised it would be during his election campaign. DM

Photo: Former United Nations representative in Madagascar Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura (C) arrives for a news conference in Antananarivo, Madagascar, October 27, 2013. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

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