MONROVIA – The world governing body of football, FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations), has announced that it will organize a two-week working conference to discuss issues regarding the statutes of member associations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
An e-mail dated Monday, December 7, 2009, and addressed to the Liberia Football Association (LFA) through its acting Secretary-General, Sam Bedford, the conference will be held between February 25 and March 10, 2010 at the CAF’s headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
The e-mail, sent by Alexandre Leuba, the head of the
organization’s Legal Affairs Division, reads:
“Dear Mr. Bedford,
Following our phone call, we can confirm you that we are actually organizing a two weeks work between 25 February and 10 March 2010 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt regarding the statutes of the CAF Member Associations.
For that reason, you will receive in the next few weeks a confirmation letter asking you if you could come to Egypt in February 2010.
As discussed, it would be better for you to come at the beginning of these two weeks in order to be able to organize an extraordinary congress in March 2010.
In this regard, we will contact you as soon as possible.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
Best regards
Alexander Leuba
Legal Counsel/Corporate Legal
Legal Affairs Division
Federation Internationale de Football Association
FIFA.Strassde 20 P.O.Box 8044 Zurich, Switzerland
It may be recalled that on Thursday, November 19, 2009, FIFA’s Director of Member Association and development, Thierry Regenass, wrote the Secretary General of the LFA expressing regret over the failure of its Legal Counsel, Theophilus Gould, to appear in Zurich.
That email reads in detail:
“Dear Secretary General,
As discussed on the phone, we regret that Mr. Gould could not come to Zurich. Therefore, we feel that it would not be appropriate to submit the current draft statutes to Congress at this time as it does not meet FIFA’s standards so far.
We would be happy if you could arrange a statutes mission as soon as possible. In order to make this mission as likely to succeed as possible, we would strongly recommend that a member of the ExCo accompanies Mr. Gould on this trip.
With best regards.
Thierry Regenass
FIFA Director for Member Association and Development.”
The disclosure of the two e-mail communications come on the
heels of recent reports and speculations that the LFA current
leadership is hesitant to organize a congress that would approve
FIFA’s new statutes for national associations, which in
Liberia’s case would be used for the March 2010 general
elections.
When contacted by phone earlier this week, LFA President, Sombo Izetta Wesley expressed hope that the statutes matter will now be given breathing room while the FIFA meeting in Cairo takes place and a decision is made.