Sports lawyer Koulamallah Adjib has expressed concerns over the governance of Chadian football, highlighting a pattern of disputed decisions and conflicts with clubs. In a recent publication, Adjib criticized the management of the Chadian Football Federation (FTFA) over its handling of various issues, including disciplinary decisions, conflicts with clubs, and questions about the independence of appeals bodies.
Adjib's criticism focuses on the 20 months of Tahir Oloy Hassan's presidency of the FTFA, which began on March 4, 2025. While acknowledging that a four-year program cannot be fully evaluated after just 20 months, Adjib argues that the management method can already be assessed. He notes that Hassan's program includes 11 projects, with the first being governance reform, which involves an independent audit of the federation, restoring trust, and strengthening support for provincial leagues.
Adjib questions why these commitments, which do not require four years to start being implemented, have not been fulfilled. He cites several incidents, including unpaid salaries for the national team's coach and staff since August 2025, and the team's poor performance in the preliminary round of the 2027 CAN, with two heavy defeats against Burundi in March.
The sports lawyer also mentions the exclusion of five players, including the captain, who were accused of betraying the country, only to be reinstated after mediation by the Ministry of Sports. Additionally, he notes that there has been no national team A match since March 31, 2026. Adjib also criticizes administrative and disciplinary decisions, such as the suspension of a senator for eight years and a fine of one million CFA francs for comments made in the Senate.
Adjib discusses the case of Mont-Guera club, which was excluded from the playoffs for accession to the first division. He also mentions the match between FC Yves and Mont-Guera on November 10, which was interrupted after a penalty was awarded to FC Yves and the pitch was invaded. The club claims it was not heard before the decision was made, and Adjib argues that the decision was based on an article that does not provide for a "forfeit" in the circumstances described.
Adjib also highlights the issue of conflicting interests, citing the example of the president of FC Yves, who was also the president of the FTFA until August 28, 2024. He questions the independence of the mechanisms for resolving disputes within the federation and argues that the Council Executive is called upon to decide on unforeseen situations, while the federation intervenes in the validation of the list of referees.
To address these issues, Adjib recommends the publication of the announced audit, explanations for the differences in treatment between the Bongor and Mont-Guera cases, and clarification on the situation of the presidency of FC Yves. He advocates for independent jurisdictional bodies, elected by the General Assembly, to allow clubs to defend their rights without fear of reprisals.
Key points
- The Chadian Football Federation's governance has been criticized for disputed decisions and conflicts with clubs.
- Sports lawyer Koulamallah Adjib argues that the current management method can already be assessed and that some commitments do not require four years to start being implemented.
- Adjib recommends the publication of the announced audit and clarification on certain situations to restore trust in the federation.
