There is this "primitive" notion that, footballers are only relevant on the pitch but irrelevant in retirement from active football because they are
There is this “primitive” notion that, footballers are only relevant on the pitch but irrelevant in retirement from active football because they are “illiterates” and can’t take up any public leadership roles.
It seems that negative perception attached to footballers is gradually varnishing due to recent enormous leadership roles given to some former footballers.
In 2005, George Oppong Weah who is the only revered African to win the Ballon d’Or took a bold decision to contest Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who had her tertiary education at Harvard University for the Liberian Presidency. Surprisingly, some Liberians questioned Weah’s literacy rate after active football to contest for such humongous position. George Oppong Weah ignored the skeptics to contest Johnson Sirleaf but the latter won a run off to be Liberian President.
Weah then pursued a degree in business administration at DeVry University in Miami to drive his dream of governing Liberia one day.
In 2011, Weah partnered Winston Tubman as vice presidential candidate to contest incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf but he was unsuccessful.
The African legend contested as a senator for Montserrado County, the oldest county in Liberia and overwhelmingly won at the expense Robert Sirleaf, son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Weah, contested for the presidency in 2017 in the name of congress for Democratic Change and defeated incumbent Vice President, Joseph Boakai in a run off with over 60% votes. He was sworn in as Liberian President on January 22, 2018, becoming the first former footballer to lead a state.
2. KALUSHA BWALYA
The former African footballer of the year and 12th FIFA world best player of the year in 1996 was elected as President of Football Association of Zambia in 2008 after resigning as head coach of the Zambian national team in 2006. He was subsequently elected into the CAF executive committee on 23rd February 2008.
The famous stint in Bwalya’s leadership is the historic 2012 AFCON triumph in Libreville, Gabon, where an unknown Zambian team defeated top class Ivorian national team in a 7-8 marathon penalties.
Prior to the finals in Libreville, Kalusha led the entire team to pay respect to the 18 players who had a plane Crash in Gabon en route to Dakar, Senegal for 1994 world cup qualifying match. Bwalya, as a key member of the team escaped the fatal incident for travelling separately. Bwalya lost the presidency to businessman Andrew Kamanga by 163 to 156 votes on 20th March 2016.
3. MAHMOUD EL KHATIB
The former Egyptian forward played his entire career at Al Ahly where he won 10 Egyptian premier league, 5 Egypt cup, 2 African club champions’ cup and 3 cup winners’ cup. He won the the 1986 African cup of Nations with Egypt.
In 2014, Mahmoud El Khatib became vice president and subsequently became the president for the most successful club in Africa, Al Ahly in 2017.
Since then Mahmoud El Khatib has won the Egyptian league 4, Egypt cup 2, Egyptian super cup 2, CAF CL 2 and 1 CAF super cup trophy.
4. SAMUEL ETO’O
The four time African best player was elected as Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) President after defeating incumbent Seidou Mbombo Njoya by 43 to 31 votes on Saturday, November 11, 2021.
5. ANTHONY BAFFOE
He held the position as CAF deputy general secretary in charge of football and development from November 2017 to June 2021.
Baffoe has served on a couple of FIFA committees and founder of Professional footballers association of Ghana(PFAG), is an accredited body by FIFPro, the worldwide representative of all professional players and is a member of the African division.
In August 2020, Didier Drogba showed keen interest to run for Ivorian Football Federation presidency but he was rejected by the electoral commission citing ineligibility of approval.
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Source: Ghana/Herosportsgh.com/Obed Atuah Adams
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