FIFA names Fatma Samoura 1st female secretary general

Figo’s statement was made on the sideline of the FIFA Congress being held in Mexico City, reports Xinhua.

Fatma Samoura has no experience working in sports but Infantino hopes that will help it try to regain the trust and credibility of the world after far-reaching corruption, bribery, and financial misconduct.

In other decisions, the congress faces prickly votes over the admission of Gibraltar and the former Serbian province of Kosovo, taking the world body to 211 members.

“Nobody can change the past but I can shape the future”, Infantino told his first FIFA Congress as president since succeeding the banned Sepp Blatter.

The congress comes just a few weeks after the new FIFA statutes came into force, flagging a wide range of reforms created to help football’s governing body win back public trust.

Governance reforms approved by the Extraordinary Congress in February and FIFA’s plans to enhance football development will be high on the agenda.

Last year’s congress was completely overshadowed by the arrest of dozens of leading officials on bribery and money-laundering charges, and the threat of further arrests remains as investigations into Federation Internationale de Football Association are ongoing in Switzerland and the US.

She started her United Nations career as a senior logistics officer with the World Food Programme in Rome in 1995 and has since served as country representative or director in six African countries, including Nigeria.

“You will see us reborn with a congress (in which) what we say, we are doing it as well, for the good of FIFA and for the good of football”.

Responding to criticism of FIFA’s failure to use its influence to encourage reforms in Qatar, Infantino said: “Of course we care about human rights, but these matters aren’t solved by threats, they are solved by dialogue”.

As required under FIFA statutes, Ms Samoura will undergo an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee, per Article 37 of the FIFA Statutes.

Germany’s Markus Kattner has been serving as interim secretary general since then.

Asked about her lack of business experience, Carrard said: “The operations will be done by the whole management”.

Since starting her United Nations career as a senior logistics officer with the World Food Programme in Rome in 1995, Ms Samoura has served as country representative or director in six countries: Republic of Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar and Nigeria.

“She has proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform”.

Also, FIFA lifted Indonesia’s suspension from world soccer.