Burkina Faso president Captain Ibrahim Traore has said the government will intervene in the country’s football federation after the controversy surrounding the national team’s trip to Argentina, even if the decision leads to a severe FIFA suspension.
Traore made the comments during a speech about football, just hours after organisational problems surrounding the Argentina match. Burkina Faso lost 7-0, having fielded a team made up largely of young players amid those difficulties.
The remarks are likely to intensify scrutiny of the country’s football administration and raise concerns at FIFA about possible political interference in the national federation.
“Indeed, our football is sick, and we will find the treatment shortly,” Traore told the media, according to French broadcaster RMC.
“To reinvest, we must treat the illness, and I believe that this week we will have important decisions to make so that things can move forward.”
He added: “New things may emerge, and we will do everything we can to look after the young players and prepare them for the tournaments ahead.
“Last time, I told the federation president: usually, we do not want to interfere in your affairs, but we no longer have a choice. We have to intervene in them.
“But if we intervene, it is to take better care of the situation. We will bring energy. We will see how to do things differently.”
Traore made the statement in the presence of the federation’s president, who showed no reaction. The exchange was filmed at close range by cameras from national television.
The comments could have significant consequences for Burkina Faso, who are ranked 62nd in the FIFA rankings. FIFA regulations prohibit political interference in the affairs of national football associations.
The dispute follows a troubled episode involving Burkina Faso’s participation in Argentina, culminating in the heavy defeat by the South American side. The team’s selection, with most of its players being young, was linked to the organisational problems surrounding the trip.
Traore’s declaration that intervention is now unavoidable places the relationship between the government and the football federation under renewed attention. Any direct political involvement could expose Burkina Faso to action under FIFA’s rules, including the possibility of a suspension.
