Exclusive interview: Farah Addo

Exclusive interview: Farah Addo

Straight talk

No one champions CAF's crusade against corruption, and administrative laxity in the African game, more energetically than first vice-president, Farah Addo.

Durosimi Thomas and Eric Odanga caught up with him for a chat that began in Accra and ended in Nairobi.

Africa's most significant achievement at the France'98 World Cup was arguably not down to any of the continent's players, but the selection by FIFA of Morocco's Said Belqola as referee for the final between hosts France and Brazil.

It was a landmark recognition of both the qualities of African referees and the huge progress made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in this important element of the game. While Belqola basked in the limelight, somewhere in the stands, a 61-year-old Somali was glowing with self-satisfaction and contentment.

Farah Weheliye Addo, CAF's first Vice-President and chairman of the Referees Committee, had just seen his crusade to thrust the continent's best into the spotlight bear fruit at the highest level of world football. All the more surprising, therefore, that barely eight months later, on February 8, 1999, refereeing should be to blame for the almost funereal atmosphere among CAF delegates at the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, there for the annual SuperCup final between the continent's two champion clubs.

The laughter, jokes and fond reunions that usually mark such occasions had given way to discreet, whispered exchanges as officials sought above all not to attract notice. The central theme of conversation, over a cup of mint tea or glass of cold beer: refereeing. Farah Addo's frontline troops had taken a hard knock, and their commander-in-chief, once all-powerful, was reeling and apparently humiliated.

Nearly a dozen of the continent's top men in black (referees and linesmen included) had been sanctioned, including Lim Kee Chong of Mauritius and Lucien Bouchardeau of Niger - respectively regarded as Africa's numbers one and two. Opinion in the corridors was unanimous: with rumours and accusations swirling around his head, Addo was on his way out. History, of course, revealed otherwise. This consummate politician not only survived the crisis, but within months he had emerged with new force. More so, the cleaning of the Augean stables has given African refereeing a new lease of life.

Granted, some problems at local and national level remain. But the clean-out, and other changes since, have done much to end the rumours and innuendo that once stained Africa's referees at international level. At CAF's 2000 Congress in Accra, Addo was elected unopposed as the body's first Vice-President, ranking him second only to Issa Hayatou in the continental hierarchy. Nor did the Somalian - who has lived in Egypt since civil war ripped his homeland apart - stop there.

Today, Addo could be likened to a cat with nine lives - he has six jobs, anyway. He is chairman of the Somali Football Federation, president of the National Olympic Committee of Somalia, CAF first Vice-President, chairman of the Referees Committee, and a member of FIFA's Referees Committee. Last November, he answered the call to chair the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa), over which he first presided some 20 years ago. Strict on discipline, Addo has continued to wield the axe when called to.

In February, two more referees, Tunisia's Mourad Daami and Senegal's Falla Ndoye, were suspended for a year and had their names removed from the list of African candidates for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan after they were found guilty of running foul of the rules. Addo's influence in CAF is such that not only is he is tipped privately as a successor to his friend Issa Hayatou - he speaks openly of the possibility, though he insists the post will interest him only when the seat is vacated by its incumbent. At Cecafa, his methods have meant drastic changes in the body's statutes, slicing of officials' allowances, and a review of accommodation facilities for players and officials during tournaments.

They have clearly not pleased everyone. But they have breathed new life into the dying regional body, with its latest club championship, held in Kenya in January, described by observers as one of the best organised in recent times. And anyway, Farah Addo, ever so bitterly frank, humorous, candid, firm and above all a true exponent of the beautiful game, is not about to change his style - whatever anyone has to say about it.

African Soccer: Officiating has always been a controversial issue in African football. How would you assess the standard of African referees in the past few years?

Farah Addo: The standard is good and I am happy because there has been remarkable progress. We are a young continent with lots of logistical problems. We can't expect a miracle. Yet we have made tremendous impact. Last year alone we had over 400 international games with no serious officiating problems. But that said, there is still a lot of room for improvement, especially with regard to cooperation between referees and match commissioners.

African Soccer: What is the problem there?

Farah Addo: When commissioners and referees file conflicting reports on the same game, it indicates an obvious lack of communication and this makes things very difficult for us at CAF. At times, there is a huge delay in filing match reports while serious incidents are never accurately reported. Referees and commissioners are both working in the interest of football and must take their assignments more seriously.

African Soccer: Rumours abound of referees involved in corrupt practices. How do you deal with this?

Farah Addo: We have heard about referees being approached before matches and offered incentives to influence results. But there has been no proof. Give me proof and I will present it to the President of CAF for immediate action. But those who made these accusations without providing proof are killing the game. If anybody has proof that I, Farah Addo, have sent a referee to Somalia to help the country win a match, he should come forward with the evidence and I assure you I will resign instantly.

African Soccer: But there are obviously bad eggs among African referees...

Farah Addo: There always will be bad eggs in any association or society. The important thing is not to allow the bad eggs to contaminate the good ones. In 1999, in Abidjan, some top referees who represented the continent at France'98, were suspended for periods ranging from a year to two for falling short of the required standard. This year, we have banned more and we will continue to act as long as we have proof to justify our actions. But there are also some who have done very well. I doff my hat to the Ivorian referee Sinko Zeli who officiated the African Cup Winners' Cup second-leg final between Canon of Cameroon and Zamalek of Egypt in Yaoundé. Canon, who lost the first leg 4-1, scored two goals and could probably have scored the third and won the tie on aggregate had the referee yielded to pressure and added more extra minutes. So you see, we have the good and the bad and I assure you that we will leave no stone unturned to flush out the bad eggs.

African Soccer: It is alleged that some highly-placed CAF officials exert a lot of pressures on referees to influence the results of matches...

Farah Addo: These stories have been repeatedly told in the past with no evidence to substantiate them. In fact some referees had come to me to complain that the president or the vice-president of their local associations had approached them on behalf of club A or X. I asked them to file official complaints. They never did. Match commissioners have also been accused of putting pressure on referees to favour one team or the other. You read these stories in the press but the referee would not mention a thing about it in his report to CAF. But we do intervene at times. There was a referee listed for the final phase of the World Cup who officiated in a local match in which the team of the association's vice-president lost. The next day, the vice-president sent a note to FIFA asking that the referee's name be removed from the list. FIFA's secretary general turned the matter to me and after investigations I discovered that the vice-president did use his powers arbitrarily.

African Soccer: Poorly paid referees could be open to temptation. Does CAF support European moves for full-time, professional referees?

Farah Addo: I agree that a man who has never seen $500 could be tempted with $5,000. But he knows the implications and I dare say an international referee would not risk his career for a few dollars. The issue of professional referees is still being studied by FIFA. Europe's big professional leagues could pay their referees while a few selected from the continents for amateur leagues could be paid a monthly fee by FIFA. But there are only six professional leagues in Africa so we might go for a semi-professional solution.

African Soccer: Let's talk about Cecafa, of which you have been elected chairman. Why did you come back to the regional body 20 years after relinquishing the post?

Farah Addo: I did not run for the Cecafa chairmanship. I was rather invited to help put it back on track. There were two candidates who had to withdraw so that I be unanimously elected. My conditions of acceptance for the post hinged on the fact that I had to be assured of the cooperation of all. The problems in the sub-region are legion. Most national associations are administratively inept. Despite FIFA's grants, the majority are still not doing well. The standard of football in the region, from youth club to national team level, is very low. My return therefore stems from a genuine interest to reverse the situation. However, for any meaningful progress, every national association of the ten member countries of Cecafa must embrace serious and transparent management. Henceforth there must be genuine unity of purpose and honesty.

African Soccer: Why was it necessary to replace the term "Confederation" with Council?

Farah Addo: There is already a Confederation of African Football which supervises football on the whole continent. We can't have two confederations in one continent as clearly stated by Article 3 of CAF's constitution.

African Soccer: You promised drastic changes after the elections in November. How clean have you swept the house?

Farah Addo: First, we changed the statutes. Previously, four or six countries got their men into the executive Committee to the detriment of others. Henceforth, the executive committee will be representative of all ten member countries. Secondly, rules regarding the hosting of tournaments have been modified so that teams and officials are no longer entitled to accommodation in first class hotels, for club championships and senior challenge competitions. Furthermore, officials' daily allowances have been slashed from $100 to $50, to be paid in the local currency of the host country, which is no longer required to buy air tickets for members of the organising committee, so the financial burden of hosting competitions in the region has been considerably lessened.

African Soccer: These measures are not likely to be popular among officials of the council...

Farah Addo: They are sacrifices we all have to make. We are a poor region and must cut our coats according to our cloth.

African Soccer: To develop football you need money. How are you going to convince sponsors to invest in Cecafa?

Farah Addo: Finding sponsors for our various tournaments has been a problem. Kenya is the hub of East African business, yet when we spoke to Coca-Cola, they didn't seem interested. We approached the breweries - also no result. We are talking now with some television companies inside and outside Kenya as well as some South African companies. The problem is that the past regime of Cecafa had put the ceiling too high and scared away potential sponsors. Now we are ready to review all that and start from the scratch. Nothing is too small. We need money.

African Soccer: What do you have to say to those who describe you as a dictator?

Farah Addo: This is my 45th year in sports and I can tell you I have not and will never change my principles. I am not a soft-hearted person who is easily pushed around. I am committed to the truth and will speak my mind irrespective of whose back I put up. I say my mind straight. You either like it or hate it. No one can stop me from telling the truth. I know the truth hurts but sorry, I dislike dishonesty.

African Soccer: How do you combine your role as CAF vice-president, chairman of the Referees Committee and your various other international engagements with that of chairman of Cecafa?

Farah Addo: I confess it is a huge responsibility, But I love football and for the next four years, I intend to steer Cecafa back onto the right track before handing over the baton to someone else.

African Soccer: With many countries in the region ravaged by armed conflicts, forging unity could be a major problem...

Farah Addo: The beauty of football is that it has the potential of removing political barriers. I am confident sport will bring the people of this region together. Football has always helped to unify warring factions. I don't see why it should be different here.

African Soccer: You were once a celebrated international referee. What were your memorable games ?

Farah Addo: I retain two memorable incidents in 1973. The first was in Egypt during a match between Mehalla and Yanga of Tanzania, when I was forced to stop the game due to a suggestion of voodoo activity which led to fighting in the stands. The second was in Zambia where fans trooped onto the pitch and removed the goal posts during a match between Zambia and Zaire after the Zairean keeper was accused of planting fetish objects. I was an international referee for eleven years after qualifying as one of the best in Somalia. I officiated in two African Nations Cups, in Egypt in 1974 and Ethiopia in 1976. I was also on duty at the All-Africa Games in Nigeria in 1972 and enjoyed every bit of them all.

African Soccer: Talking about the African Nations Cup, don't you think It is high time east and central African countries hosted the tournament?

Farah Addo: African Nations Cup hosts are never picked on a sentimental basis, neither is it a matter of East, West, South or North. The rules regarding venues as amended in Burkina Faso in 1998 state the conditions quite clearly. There must be four venues in four cities. It is therefore a matter of meeting the conditions. CAF is bent on adopting a professional way of organising Africa's version of the European Championships. We are not going to rotate it to zones. Only the best candidate with the best facilities will get the nod.

African Soccer: CAF does favour joint hosting. Would you, as Cecafa chairman, support a joint bid from the region?

Farah Addo: I don't honestly see two East African countries jointly hosting the African Nations Cup. To do that you have to build four stadiums of 20,000 to 25,000 capacity. The telecommunications network must be perfect. The hotels and other facilities such as transportation, road network and airports must be of the highest possible standard. I admit that in this region there are very good hotels. But the stadiums are just not there. Kenya has only the Kasarani stadium. They would have to build more in Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu or Kakamega. Somalia cannot do it, neither can Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia. Who wants to go to Sudan with all the problems there? Tanzania and Uganda? Forget it.

African Soccer: Mali is struggling to host the tournament next year, yet CAF seems determined to give the country a chance. Isn't this a double standard?

Farah Addo: Mali is working hard to meet the required standard. We are not going to compromise on anything. A final inspection is due in July. We will take a final decision after studying the reports. However, it is my considered opinion that the rules need to be amended once more. Bidding countries should have their facilities ready before pushing forward their candidacy, instead of filling us with a catalogue of promises.

African Soccer: The relationship between CAF and Cecafa has been tense. Has anything changed?

Farah Addo: There have been problems in the past because certain people felt they could do what they liked. After we changed the rules and statutes in November, I reported back to the CAF President. Cecafa will not gain anything by antagonising the continent's governing body and I have assured CAF of our co-operation.

African Soccer: Let's talk about FIFA elections of 1998. Was it necessary for CAF to order national associations to vote for Lennart Johansson?

Farah Addo: Article 3 of CAF statutes empowered its executive committee to issue such a directive. We had a protocol agreement with UEFA to develop our youth football and to have the same line of thoughts in world football. If they have a candidate and we don't, it is normal that we back him. That is why CAF enjoined all its national associations to support Johansson. But some people opposed this decision for various reasons. Many of those who spearheaded the revolt, especially from Rwanda, Kenya, Central and West Africa, have since disappeared.

African Soccer: Cecafa bore the brunt and its secretary general Joe Sammy Obingo was suspended...

Farah Addo: Obingo has since been pardoned, but the point of disagreement was that he erroneously insisted that Cecafa was independent from CAF and campaigned openly against the executive committee's directives. That is why he was suspended and when he showed remorse and explained his position, his suspension was quashed.

African Soccer: Could it be that CAF masterminded your election as chairman of Cecafa to have a firm grip on the Council in order to avoid future conflicts of interest?

Farah Addo: If that is the case, why then was I elected unopposed? I am not here to settle old scores neither I am here to hound anybody. I did not force my way into Cecafa. The members wanted me back in the family and CAF had nothing to do with it. All I am saying is that laws must be respected and we must operate with the rules.

African Soccer: Do you have any ambitions of ascending to CAF presidency?

Farah Addo: At the moment, no. Issa Hayatou, the incumbent president, is a very good friend of mine and as long he remains I would not run against him. We are sailing in the same boat at the moment. But if he decides to step down, I will definitely run for the presidency. I do have ambitions to lead CAF, but only if Hayatou is not there.

African Soccer: What do you think of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) and how could Cecafa learn from it?

Farah Addo: Cosafa is a dynamic zone and its president Ishmael Bhamjee, who is also a member of the CAF executive committee, is a personal friend. Cosafa has a lot of sponsors and we need them. We are thinking of signing a protocol agreement bringing the two zones together to form an important power base. That means 23 of the 52 affiliate members of CAF working together. Later, we will study the possibility of having tournaments between the best four national teams and clubs in the two zones. We could end up having a Cosafa XI versus Cecafa XI with huge benefits to both parties.

African Soccer: With two consecutive Olympic gold medals in the bag, Africa is considered to be the continent to watch at the World Cup next year in Korea and Japan. Do you think Africa could go all the way?

Farah Addo: Why not? The records speak for themselves. Africa is the second continent after Europe to have won Olympic gold twice consecutively. This is no mean achievement and its significance lies in the fact that Nigeria and Cameroon defeated all the world's football superpowers on their way to victory. Next year's World Cup is thus a litmus test for the continent and I think if we are properly organised, we could shock the world.

African Soccer: Europeans are complaining that Africa used professional players to dominate the Olympics

Farah Addo: Who stops them from using their own professionals? In any case, if they have talented players, why do they keep coming here to grab our boys? They buy them with peanuts and sell them for millions. This means we have the quality. They have the organisation but we have quality. I dare them to send all African players home and see what will become of their football.

African Soccer: Poor administration has been described as the bane of African football. What is your panacea to these problems?

Farah Addo: The trouble with African football is that we are not organised. Show me one country which is 100 per cent organised on the continent. African football will be on the right track if governments allow the best hands to run the game in their respective domains. You have sports ministers who turn out to be football ministers and FA presidents who become coaches after being put under severe pressure by ministers and national sports council chiefs. Education is the key to success. We have to educate our sports officials They must learn to be organised. The difference between the others and us is that we lack proper organisation . We have the best players, but the worst organisation.

African Soccer: Has FIFA's $250,000 annual grant to national associations solved any problems? Some FA presidents say the money has created more problems than solutions...

Farah Addo: Whoever feels the money is doing them harm should ask FIFA to stop paying them. The money was never meant to create problems. With that kind of money, a national association should be able to repair pitches, improve youth football, establish schools of football and sponsor clubs in international competitions. But the trouble is that ministers want to control the money. We know of four cases of conflict between sports ministers and FA presidents over FIFA money. This is wrong. The ministers have nothing to do with it.

African Soccer: The new Somalian president recently offered you the post of interior minister and you turned it down, why?

Farah Addo: I feel the time is not right for me to go into politics. The country is still being ruled by clans. There is so much rehabilitation to do. Hospitals, roads, police stations and stadiums all need to be rebuilt. Too many projects in fact that I would have long died before they are completed. I don't hate politics, but I prefer sports. I don't want to be a minister to be tossed around like a football.

African Soccer: There is little football played in Somalia...

Farah Addo: Because there are no facilities. We have too many military camps and this is not conducive to international games. That is why I insisted Somalia honour its international engagements outside the country. I am happy that FIFA has promised to rebuild the stadium and Olympic village. I will invite you to the opening ceremonies in Mogadishu.

African Soccer: At the end of your four-year tenure, in what state do you wish to leave Cecafa?

Farah Addo: I want to leave behind a financially solvent and professionally run body, capable of organising regular tournaments. I want to see good, selfless leaders at the helm of its affairs as well as an enduring youth development programme, articulated plans for women and Futsal (indoor football) because they too have a right to be developed. My dream for Cecafa is huge and it requires hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Hopefully, the fruits of our labour will begin to show next year when our youth tournament comes up in Eritrea.

African Soccer: African football administrators are known to have made a lot money. Just how rich are you?

Farah Addo: I have had no financial gains from football. I survive on earnings from my properties in Somalia. Football is my life. I have given it a lot and will continue to do so until I die.