Transitional president Ibrahim Traoré on Thursday defended his reform of Burkinabe sport and described football as “sick”, as CAF demanded answers from the authorities on pain of the national team’s suspension.
Burkina Faso’s transitional president, Ibrahim Traoré, spoke out on Thursday to publicly set out the reasons behind his structural reform of national sport. His remarks come as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has demanded formal explanations and answers from the authorities, on pain of suspending the national teams, according to Afrik-Foot.
The ruling authorities stand by their approach and say they accept the risk of an international suspension handed down by FIFA and CAF, in order, they say, to clean up the sector for good.
A 0-7 defeat as the trigger
The crisis was triggered by the Stallions’ heavy defeat to Argentina (0-7) in early October, Afrik-Foot reports.
After that reverse, the head of state declared that Burkinabe football was “sick”. He expanded on that assessment publicly on Thursday, again according to Afrik-Foot. His diagnosis, however, does not stop at the pitch.
State funding called into question
The transitional president denounced the unacceptable gap between the colossal funding provided by the state and the total lack of oversight of how the federations are run, according to Afrik-Foot. In his view, it is this imbalance that justifies the overhaul now under way.
The plan provides for the adoption of a new sports law to clean up governance. It also includes the creation of a new national competition run by the state, the same source says.
A suspension that remains a risk
FIFA’s statutes expressly prohibit direct government interference in federations. The youth teams and the Stallions’ senior side risk being excluded from upcoming continental fixtures if no compromise is found, according to Afrik-Foot.
Ibrahim Traoré said: “If it turns out to be true, they will suspend the team”, a phrase quoted by Afrik-Foot. The Burkinabe authorities present this suspension as a risk they say they accept in the name of cleaning up the sector, and not as a foregone conclusion.
CAF and FIFA are expected to receive Burkina Faso’s official response and its explanatory report in the coming days, Afrik-Foot specifies.