Senegalese appointed first woman FIFA Secretary General

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced on Friday the appointment of first woman Secretary General, Senegalese Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura.

Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura Appointed #FIFA Secretary General pic.twitter.com/iF11oUqkmM— africanews (@africanews) 13 May 2016

The announcement was made at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City where Infantino praised her for her integrity saying the Council was particularly “impressed with her operational experience, as well as her expertise in governance and working in multi-cultural environments.”

Fatma Samoura has worked with the United Nations programmes for 21 years and 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. 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,” Gianni Infantino said.

According to information provided by FIFA.com, Fatma Samoura will undergo an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee, per Article 37 of the FIFA Statutes. She will assume the role of FIFA Secretary General before mid-June.