is a bad joke. Millions of dollars end up in the wrong pockets. Goats graze on the national stadiums, and the game is just inferior.
But now, FIFA had enough, and ahead of you is a violent showdown with corrupt african fodboldledere and not least with the african fodboldpræsident.
a football player, and I am of course talking about Pele predicted in 1977 that an african country would win the WORLD cup by the year 2000. At the time it seemed like a sober bid, especially with the thought of the passion the africans have for the game and to the millions of children that would grow up with a ball at your feet.
But Pelé was wrong. Africa came not in the goal before the turn of the millennium, and it is still not happened here 20 years later. On the contrary, is african football has lagged behind.
, an african team has come, for a quarter-final. Cameroon did it in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. At the recent WORLD cup in Russia in 2018 went, none of the four african teams to progress from the initial group stage. Instead they went to the bottom.
But now the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, have Africa to the top. Last weekend he was presented in Rabat in Morocco, a large-scale and tremendously ambitious development plan for the african football.
also choose to say that he in the Rates, tried to take over the governance of african football, and it fell not on good ground at each of the 54 countries that constitute The confederation of African Football, CAF.
And certainly not with the president of CAF, Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, which is probably living on borrowed time in office. He is drowning in corruption cases and cases of sexual abuse. He could be harvested for a half a year ago, but Infantino has kept him alive artificially. It's over now,
in Paris last summer, when Ahmad and Infantino warmly greeted each other in connection with opening exercises for the FIFA congress. Extra Magazine's photographer, Lars Poulsen, had sneaked into the hall without being invited, and at close range, he got the shot of the two presidents, which may well be historic.
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Now you hear buddy. Infantino had good things to tell Ahmad last summer. Now he has changed his tune had a different sound. Photo: Lars Poulsen
Two days later, Ahmad picked up by the French police and charged with widespread corruption. After several days of interrogation, he was allowed to leave France, but he is still under investigation. It is he also of FIFA's own ethics committee. Infantino could have used the opportunity in the summer to suspend Ahmad, who is also vice-president of FIFA, but he chose to save him.
for a number of reasons. Ahmad and Infantino have previously mixed blood. Ahmad total african voices behind the Infantino, then the shaven Switzerland-Italian took over the presidency of FIFA after Sepp Blatter in 2016. Infantino promised at the apartment, that he would choose an african as the secretary-general. It was Fatma Samoura, which has a history in the UN, and for several years worked with Ahmad in Madagascar. They were close friends. It is no longer.
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Infantino promised to hire an african as secretary-general. The choice fell on Fatma Samoura. Photo: Alessandra Tarantino/Ritzau Scanpix
the Year after the paid Infantino and Samoura back for the support of Ahmad. From behind the scenes contributed to the fact that Ahmad could take over the presidency of the CAF after the gennemkorrupte Issa Hayatou.
the reason for that Ahmad escaped with fright in the summer, was that he went to, to FIFA from 1. august sent Fatma Samoura to CAF's headquarters in Cairo to clear up after the many corruption cases.
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For a half a year ago began Fatma Samoura his work with CAF in Cairo. Ahmad, who is sitting to the right of her, seems not very excited. Photo: football-legal.com
In the first place was Samoura lent for half a year. The period of expiry 1. February, and both the Infantino and the Samoura would follow Ekstra information like still half a year more.
CAF's executive committee put the foot down. Thank you for your cooperation. Now there must not snages more. It is reported that Infantino left the meeting in Rabat last weekend in anger.
He was not steamed, as he on Monday, was on stage at The International Sportsjournalisters general assembly in Budapest. Here got Ahmad and CAF the smooth layer.
- WE HAVE serious problems in Africa, and we need to solve. We will make up with the corruption in african football. I hope that the CAF have discovered that I will crack down on corruption. There is hope for Africa, and now want FIFA to pay the judges in order to avoid corruption. It is not interference, but we want the best for the soccer ball, and we want to avoid judges being prone to interference from governments, said Infantino.
- The millions of dollars that we spend in Africa, must not end up in anyone's pockets. We want to invest in Africa, not in a president, but in a country. For example, we will build the stadiums. How should we be able to develop the soccer ball, if not stadiums, he asked rhetorically.
would not answer questions about FIFA's investigations of Ahmad.
- I'm not the right person to ask. The question should be sent to mr Vassilios Skouris, who is the chairman of FIFA's ethics committee, he said, and confirmed, on the way that the investigation is ongoing.
In connection with Fatma Samouras work in Cairo, there is prepared an audit report on the conditions in the CAF. The report is not published, but FIFA's Reform Task Force' to push for it to happen.
Ahmad Ahmad, the former fisheries minister from Madagascar, looks like a finished man, but it brings Africa closer to a WORLD title, is doubtful. There is the distance to european and south american football is still too great. Pele was far from hitting the target.
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the Vice-president of FIFA and president of The confederation of African Football Ahmad Ahmad can quickly become a very lonely man. Photo: Lars Poulsen
--------- SPLIT ELEMENT ---------
Infantinos african levelHere is a FIFA presidential bid on what needs to be done to get african football to the top. It was the words he himself used at the meeting in Rabat last weekend.
* FIFA will finance and organize a group of 20 african referees to prevent match-fixing and corruption. The judges must have professional contracts and be completely independent. It's not the fall in the good soil of the african leaders.
* FIFA will through investors procure seven billion dollars, which should be used to build stadiums for. The goal is that all 54 countries in Africa to have a modern stadium. Infantino is tired of watching the goats graze on the courses that the day after should be used for a test match.
* today, the African Cup of Nations, similar to the EM, the game every other year. Infantino look like that, as EM is only played every four years.
* FIFA-the president proposes a new african club competition across all the countries. It should consist of 20 permanent participants, and then a further four clubs play out for a place in the tournament, which thus comes to consist of 24 teams. At the same time, the clubs also participate in national tournaments.
to be in the fine company, the clubs have an annual turnover of 130 million euros. There must be advice to to be able to keep some of the biggest talents in the african clubs. Infantino expects the tournament over a five-year period can create 20 billion in revenue. It is not clarified whether the tournament shall be operated jointly by CAF and FIFA.
* in Order to further boost african football will Infantino be a Nation's League for women and more ungdomsturneringer in different age groups for both sexes.
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