“CAF is at a crossroads”

Augustin Senghor, Head of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), has submitted his candidacy for the election of the President of the African Football Federation (CAF) which will take place on March 12, 2021 in Rabat. He answered RFI’s questions on Monday, November 16.

Augustin Senghor was the fifth candidate to be declared chairman of the African Football Organization at the last minute. “I have loyalty values,” the president of the Senegalese Football Association immediately acknowledged in the Radio Foot Internationale program.

He had previously said that he would not resist the current outgoing. “The procedure before the ethics committee of President Ahmad’s Fifa (still a candidate for his own legacy, the editor’s remark) made me go there after discussing with colleagues in the executive committee,” said the lawyer, who saw Ahmad represent without difficulty.

“CAF needs to be modernized“

“CAF stands at a crossroads, we want to rebuild the house to get out of the difficulties despite Ahmad’s work. CAF needs modernization and stability and I believe that I am the one who can bring about these changes “, suggests the mayor of Gorée, elected to CAF’s executive committee in February 2018. Augustin Senghor has support from Gambia and Gabon, among others.

“During these four years, many good things have been done. We were facing the news and it was the will to a new dynamic at CAF. I regret that a lot of noise has been made to hide our work “, regrets Augustin Senghor. “There is a lack of solidarity and a way of politicizing the CAF too much. You must not shoot yourself in the foot, he adds without a doubt and refers to Fatma Samoura’s arrival as FIFA’s general delegate to CAF between August 2019 and January 2020.

“Working hand in hand with Fifa”

Augustin Senghor wants to “work hand in hand with Fifa”. “We can not do anything else. It is very important to have a good relationship. We must frame our cooperation. There was a misunderstanding. Fifa wanted to help by making Africa a priority. We must lay the foundations for a clear and healthy cooperation. , he admits.

About one CAN every four years, highly recommended by Fifa, does not see Augustin Senghor as something “an injunction” from the world football body. “You have to think about what to do. But you need to be careful before deciding on a CAN every four years. In any case, it is up to CAF to decide. We have to think of the right formula, Augustin Senghor answers.

Three candidates from the same region do not seem to be problematic for Augustin Senghor. “When we talk about African football, we think of West Africa. And there has never been a president for our zone since CAF existed. The context dictated this. Even though there are three of us, it is important that they are quality people, concludes Augustin Senghor.

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