Africa-Press – Gambia. Omar Sey chose country over continental football leadership
In August 1987, Yidnekatchew Tessema of Ethiopia, a founding member of the Confederation of African Caf, and its president from 1972, died.
Before his death Tessema had wished that his longtime colleague in Caf, Gambian Omar Sey, succeeds him.
However shortly before Tesseman died. in May 1987, Mr Sey who was head of Caf Referees Committee among many other positions in continental body, became foreign minister of The Gambia.
Ahead of the 1988 Caf congress in Morocco to elect a new president, the then president of the world football body Fifa, Joao Havelange, joined the call for Omar Sey to take the mantle of the Caf presidency.
In this historic letter to Mr Sey, dated 15 September 1987, Mr Havelange appealed to Mr Sey to consider taking up the Caf presidency:
“In life there are certain moments when you reach a turning point that requires a decision from you.
“With the death of our very dear Caf President Tessema a problem arises regarding the future Caf presidency. This is a fact I know because he told me many things and always spoke of you as a balanced, cultured and wise man evincing great friendship for him. His wish is that when he is to leave Caf, you should become his successor.
I permit myself to turn to you and to remind you that football in Africa without Tessema could mean a retrograde step if the next president does not possess the qualities required for this post, qualities that our old friend and late President Tessema had shown in all his decisions.
“For the sake of Africa and the wishes of Tessema expressed before his death, 1 ask you to give this matter considerable thought and to postulate for the Caf presidency at the forthcoming elections in Morocco in March 1988.
I am well aware of the importance of your position as Foreign Minister of your country but I can tell you that world football needs you at the head of the Caf, the organisation that governs the most important sport of this world in your continent. I need not to remind you that the presidency of a Confederation is conferred certain rights within Fifa.
“In my capacity as FIFA President, I ask you to think about my request to postulate for the Caf presidency in order to ensure tranquility and continuity of African football. The reason for my insistence on this matter is that I have always followed your remarkable work characterised by wisdom and culture in the Referees’ Committee”.
Yours, Joao Havelange
President FIFA
As history would have it, Omar Sey politely declined to make himself available for the Caf presidency at that Congress in Morocco paving way for Cameroonian Issa Hayatou to become Caf president.
Mr Sey informed Havelange and the world football fraternity that he wished to serve his country with all his energy and attention. This is how the Gambia missed the position of the Caf presidency.
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