New Fifa in the offing but plates already full

In Summary

WORK TO DO. The big issues though will remain structural and regulatory renewal such that the chances of a newer and perhaps more sophisticated system of corruption rising up are minimised

By the time you read this, the world soccer governing body, Fifa, will have elected its new president from the contenders’ list of either Prince Ali, Sheikh Salman, Tokyo Sexwale, Gianni Infantino or Jerome Champagne.

My personal favourite is Uefa General secretary Gianni Infantino, who just looks like someone you could trust with your ATM personal identification number. But if I was a delegate, I would be emotionally linked to former Robben Island inmate, the extremely charming Tokyo Sexwale.

Africa, though, is not going to be emotional about this seeing that Africa’s soccer governing body, Caf, agreed at their congress in Rwanda after the African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament to endorse Sheikh Salman, a man whose links with the oppressive rule in Bahrain is being fully exploited by Prince Ali of Jordan. The latter believes that with the Sheikh discredited, Asia and Africa could be his to ride on to victory.

The extremely influential Europeans seemed to have endorsed Infantino en masse and that has to make him favourite. Because regardless of what we see and hear, the power politics at Fifa are not governed by numbers. It is a one-lion-a-hundred-rats scenario and in such circumstances the Asian and African block may make Sheikh Salman a distant threat. Just that.

But those are the political machinations in the background. Regardless of who becomes president, they have quite a job at hand.
To start with, the first item in their in-tray will be to kill the system that bred and sustained them. Fifa has to undergo major corrective surgery and that means stepping on very many toes, some of whom might have voted in their favour.

At least, the new leadership will be motivated by the opening of space for action and the increasing global intolerance of tax evasion, bribes and kickbacks. The whole of Zurich and football will be teeming with examples of how not to turn into a crook.

The big issues though will remain structural and regulatory renewal such that the chances of a newer and perhaps more sophisticated system of corruption rising up are minimised. Admittedly, it cannot be that hard as it is the only logical direction to take.

It is just that the devil is in the detail and football is inherently corrupt and has a powerful tendency to draw in even the most upright of men.

Then, of course, will come the need to disentangle from the mess caused by the old regime. The matter of the next two World Cups and European soccer body Uefa alongside mega corporate sponsors, who have at times openly hinted at breaking away.

In Africa, I hope a new administration in Zurich unburdened by the patronage ties of the past can bring its goodwill to bear upon corrupt local football administrators.

It is about time, for instance, that all those Fifa grants were put to proper use and what a wonderful opportunity to effect that.
There shall be a lot to contend with for the new leadership but I guess each of the five candidates is fully aware. In any case, let us embrace the fresh start.
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