World football governing body, Fifa, seriously needs to look at how it handles disputes in African football. It cannot be that the same, same pattern keeps repeating itself on the continent ad infinitum, with football ever the poorer for it.
Mismanagement, misappropriation of funds, misconduct, malpractice, misrule, maladministration, illegal, immoral. You can add to this list whatever other word that best describes the operations of many African national federations.
Because of this pervasive malfeasance of football officials on the continent, governments have been forced to act in the interest of the public, the laws of the land and indeed, the game.
But each time this happens, obdurate Fifa steps in with its policy of never accepting interference by a third party and unleashes threats of an international football ban unless the offending government withdraws the corrective action it has taken.
Let me illustrate. On March 17, 2017, Fifa banned Mali after its Sports Minister dissolved Mali’s Football Federation (Femafoot) Executive Committee.
The reason why the Malian government disbanded Femafoot? Persistent wrangles amongst different factions, not unlike in Kenya, had left the management of the game in chaos and in need of a fresh start.
On October 5, 2018, Fifa suspended Sierra Leone from world football over claims of government interference.
This followed the removal from office of the football association president, Isha Johansen and General Secretary, Christopher Kamara, by the government. Johansen had earlier been charged with abuse of office and misuse of public funds by Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission. The ban was lifted eight months after Johansen was cleared of corruption charges and restored as football president.
On February 25, 2022, Fifa suspended Kenyan and Zimbabwe from all football activities for what it termed interference by a third party.
Kenya was banned after the Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed disbanded the Football Kenya Federation following recommendations from a government-sanctioned probe committee that found the federation had failed to sufficiently account for monies received and that it was operating illegally.
The government went ahead and formed a FKF Caretaker Committee while FKF president Nick Mwendwa was arrested on two separate occasions and charged with graft.
Zimbabwe was banished after its government took control of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA). The government said it was acting against corruption, incompetence and sexual abuse.
"We had to suspend two of our member associations, Kenya and Zimbabwe, both for government interference in the activities of the football associations of these (countries). Associations are suspended from all football activities with immediate effect. They know what needs to be done for them to be readmitted or for the suspension to be lifted," Fifa president Gianni Infantino said.
New Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba reinstated FKF, leading to the suspension being lifted on November 28, 2022. The reinstatement of the federation office left it in an obvious constitutional crisis, with several court cases ruled against it, including its legitimacy. Currently, there is a High Court stay order against the federation holding its AGM even as Fifa insists the exercise must take place or Kenya risks an international ban over interference from a third party.
Last Wednesday, the High Court of Zambia upheld stay orders preventing the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) from holding its AGM.
On the same day, the president of FAZ, Andrew Kamanga and secretary, Reuben Kamange, were arrested by the country's Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) over corruption and money laundering allegations linked to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations allowances.
Fifa promptly reacted by threatening to suspend Zambia because its football disputes had been taken to an ordinary court of law and – that word again – there was third-party interference. The world football body explicitly directed FAZ to hold its AGM, High Court stay orders notwithstanding.
It is almost like Fifa is saying they do not mind corruption and mismanagement (allegations) in African football so long as all the officials are beholden to Fifa’s top leadership.
A case in point. The Spanish government last Thursday formed a special committee called the Supervision, Normalisation and Representation Commission to oversee the country’s football federation (Royal Spanish Football Federation).
“The government’s involvement has come in response to the crisis in the organisation and in defence of the general interest of Spain,” BBC Online quoted Spain’s National Sports Council.
Now wait for this, Fifa, in a joint statement with Uefa, only said it would seek additional information to assess the extent to which the normalisation commission “may affect the RSFF’s obligation to manage its affairs independently and without undue government interference”.
Note, Fifa did not issue an international ban warning, did not demand RSSF officials to be reinstalled and did not order third parties to keep off football affairs. Spain have been allowed to sort out their problems.
