Tuesday 08 January 2019, 19:17

FIFA President and FIFA Secretary General visit Senegal ahead of the CAF Awards

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, President of the Senegalese Professional Football League Saer Seck, FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura and members of the FIFA administration visited FIFA’s Regional Development Office in Dakar, Senegal’s capital.

The Regional Development Office in Dakar covers 24 countries and is designed to implement and coordinate all FIFA development activities in West and Central Africa on a local level and in particular, to help the regional Member Associations carry out their development projects and apply the recommendations of the FIFA Forward Programme in their area.

At the office, Infantino met the team and discussed various ongoing projects, including the successful implementation of the Forward Programme, and football-related activities implemented by the FSF, including the infrastructure challenges faced by the game in Senegal with Seck.

The delegation then departed for a private audience at the Palace of the Republic with the President of Senegal Macky Sall. Discussions focused on the modernisation of football structures in Senegal as well as the high costs of broadcasting international matches for small countries in Africa and the hosting of continental tournaments.

President Sall expressed his satisfaction on the excellent collaboration between FIFA and the Senegalese authorities saying: "I’m humbled by the appointment of my countrywoman Fatma Samoura as FIFA Secretary General by Mr. Infantino. Africa and Senegal in particular feel very proud to have Fatma at the helm of world football administration."

Fatma Samoura said: "I am delighted to be here in my home country Senegal today, particularly as the excitement grows across Dakar ahead of tonight’s CAF African Football Awards. I am very touched by President Sall’s kind words and I am honoured and proud to be the first African woman to hold the position of Secretary General at FIFA."

The talks were followed by a lunch at the Palace of the Republic attended by the FIFA delegation, FIFA Vice President and CAF President Ahmad Ahmad, three CAF Vice Presidents Amaju Pinnick, Constant Omari and Fouzi Lekjaa, FSF President Augustin Senghor and members of the FSF Executive Committee and Senegal Minister of Sport Mocar Ba. President of Liberia and former football great George Weah also attended the lunch.

The FIFA delegation then departed to attend the CAF African Football Awards.