Waberi & Motsepe: Four years on, but loyalty never fades away

Souleiman Hassan Waberi cuts across as a heavyweight contender ahead of the FIFA council Elections for multiple reasons, including reportedly having the support of Africa’s top footy administrator, Doctor Patrice Motsepe.

On the eve of the March 2021 Elections, Patrice Motsepe was Elected 7th CAF president, one of the reasons being Waberi’s hustle for votes especially in the CECAFA region. Fast forward to 4 years later, loyalty has not faded away, and the favour looks to be returned.

The African regional confederation Cecafa (the Council for East and Central African Football Associations) have equally given their 11-member support to Hassan Waberi Souleiman in his candidacy for an African spot on the FIFA Council.

Waberi, a vice president of Cecafa, will stand in the CAF elections, trying to get one of 6 FIFA council seats on March 12 in Egypt.

Earlier this year at Cecafa’s General Assembly in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, support for Waberi was fulsome.

Mr. Waberi, who is one of the most experienced current-serving African football officials has lent a forceful commitment to the African football in general and particularly to that of CECAFA and his country where he served and held different positions in the last 30 years.

From 2012 to 2024 he served as the president of Djibouti Football Federation. During that period he also served in the council of east and central Africa football associations (CECAFA) before being elected as member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2017.

Currently the CECAFA region is not represented in the FIFA Council, but with Waberi’s announcement to run for the position gives the east Africa region hope that someone from the region will sit on the FIFA Council after this month’s elections as Waberi is termed one of the most hopefuls and is expected to secure the seat.

Some Cecafa regional block executives have been vocal about who they’re giving maximum support to;

Cecafa president Wallace Karia, confirmed Cecafa’s commitment to support Waberi, including president of Somali Football Federation, Ali Abdi Mohamed, who has made public outings to praise Waberi’s contribution: “We are throwing all of our support behind Mr. Waberi,” he said as he joined the Waberi chorus.