Senegalese UN official Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura has been appointed as the  Secretary General of world football’s governing body Fifa, in the process becoming the first female to be named to the prestigious role.
New Fifa President Gianni Infantino made the announcement Friday at the 66th Fifa Congress in Mexico City.
Ms Samoura, 54, has worked in one capacity or the other for the United Nations the past 21 years. She is currently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria.
“Fatma is a woman with international experience and vision who has worked on some of the most challenging issues of our time,” Fifa head Infantino said.
“She has a proven ability to build and lead teams, and improve the way organisations perform. Importantly for FIFA, she also understands that transparency and accountability are at the heart of any well-run and responsible organisation.”
Ms Samoura replaces Jerome Valcke, long time occupant of the position and a close confidante of disgraced Sepp Blatter. Valcke wass forced to step down after the organisation’s recent troubles, and he received a 12 year ban from all football related activities.
At a time when the organisation is reeling from scandals and attempting to bounce back, Ms Samoura promises a fresh approach to doing things.
“Today is a wonderful day for me, and I am honoured to take on the role of FIFA’s Secretary General,” she said. “I believe this role is a perfect fit for my skills and experience – strategic, high impact team building in international settings – which I will use to help grow the game of football all over the world.
“I also look forward to bringing my experience in governance and compliance to bear on the important reform work that is already underway at FIFA. FIFA is taking a fresh approach to its work – and I am eager to play a role in making that approach as effective and lasting as possible.”
Fatma holds a Masters Degree in English and Spanish from the University of Lyon; and a Post-Masters Degree in international relations/international trade from the Institut d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (IECS)- Strasbourg-France.