August 4 – Abdoulaye Fall will succeed long-standing Augustin Senghor as the president of the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football (FSF) following tumultuous elections that included a suspension of proceedings and police intervention.
With his ‘Control Pass’ programme, Fall won a large majority in the first round (301 votes) against Mady Touré (116), though was short of the two-thirds majority to win the presidency in the first round. With just 92 votes, Senghor withdrew from the second round of voting, denouncing questionable election practices.
On social media, photos showed how the elections descended into chaos with the intervention of the local police. Fall won the second round of the election with 321 votes against 30 for Mady Touré, with more than 100 of the eligible voters abstaining in the second vote.
Aged 56, Fall has long served as a member of the FSF executive committee. He also chairs local club Bambey FC, who play in Senegal’s second tier. His election ends the longstanding reign of Senghor who came to power in 2009.
Fall said: “Let’s build a stronger, fairer and more ambitious football around ‘pass control’.”
Fall’s opponent Touré has accused him of corruption and called on the courts to intervene. “In 2013 and 2021, I was a candidate, but no one listened to me,” he told local media. “What happened today is corruption. I saw it, and so did my team. There is corruption in Abdoulaye Fall’s camp, and I will not continue with the election.”
“What happened today is a disgrace for our country and does not bring honour to Senegal. The election ended as it began.”
“Justice must be ruled on and the state must assume all its responsibilities,” he added.
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