Cameroonian sports journalist Martin Camus Mimb has praised the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) for its handling of a potentially conflicting situation with FIFA. In a recent publication, Mimb highlights how FEGAFOOT managed to avoid a suspension from FIFA while complying with the administrative requirements of its own government.
The core of the issue lay in a directive from the Gabonese government, under the leadership of the Minister of Sports, Paul Ulrich Kessany. This directive required all sports federations in the country to comply with an administrative regularization process via a one-stop shop. FEGAFOOT, fearing interference and a potential suspension by FIFA, initially resisted. This resistance is a common reaction among African federations, often concerned with preserving their autonomy from governmental pressures.
However, Minister Kessany remained firm, leading to the postponement of FEGAFOOT's elective general assembly. Unexpectedly, FIFA eventually revised its position and aligned itself with the Gabonese government's directives. Martin Camus Mimb describes this turnaround as a "masterclass for all African states in their turbulent relations with football federations".
FIFA clearly stated that administrative regularization is an obligation, not only under national law but also under FEGAFOOT's own statutes. It even praised the one-stop shop initiative, considering it a potential solution to the "administrative cacophony" often observed within African federations.
For Martin Camus Mimb, this case marks a significant turning point. He sees it as a precedent for the governance of African sports federations, emphasizing that FIFA itself now recognizes the need for administrative regularization in accordance with national laws. He had anticipated this outcome in a previous article entitled "The Kessany Revolution," praising the approach of the Gabonese Minister of Sports.
FIFA's validation of the one-stop shop decision is particularly significant. It demonstrates a willingness by the world football governing body to take into account local administrative realities while ensuring good governance of federations. A strong signal sent to all African federations.
