FIFA Appoints Senegal’s Fatma Samoura as 1st Woman Secretary General

The world football governing body, FIFA, yesterday appointed Senegal’s Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura as FIFA’s Secretary General, the first woman to hold the post. Samoura is a 21-year old veteran of United Nations programmes who is cur­rently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Co­ordinator and UNDP Resident Representa­tive in Nigeria.

“Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time,” President Gianni Infantino said at the FIFA Congress in Mexico yesterday.

“She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform. Importantly for FIFA, she also understands that transparency and account­ability are at the heart of any well-run and responsible organisation.”

Samoura will take on the role in mid-June after the mandatory eligibility check.

“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. No one exemplifies what we need more than Fatma does, and we are thrilled that she has joined our team.”

She speaks French, English, Spanish and Italian.

Not only is she the first woman to be Sec­retary General of FIFA, she is also the first non-European to have the position.

“Today is a wonderful day for me, and I am honoured to take on the role of FIFA’s Secretary General,” said Samoura.