Since November 9, 2023, there has been a serious crisis in Burkina Faso soccer.Facing the Executive Committee of the Fédération burkinabè de soccer (FBF) is a group of club leaders who, during the latest mediation initiated by Jean Yaméogo, President of the Comité national olympique et des sports burkinabè (CNOSB), ended up demanding the resignation of the FBF President for failing to keep his word. For Lazare Banssé, there is no question of resigning.Positions are clear-cut. Neither side wants to make concessions to the other. When will the crisis between the Federation and the clubs end? That's the question now being asked by many in the country.
The causes of the crisis
Prior to the first mediation meeting between the clubs and the Burkinabe Football Federation (FBF), four points of demand were raised by the rebels. These were: repayment of the 25% deduction from the grant used to organize championships for small categories, earmarked by the National Fund for the Promotion of Sport and Leisure (FNPSL); payment of the four months' arrears in grant payments for the 2022-2023 season; an end to the cuts made by the FBF Executive Committee to the subsidy intended for League 1 and League 2 clubs; and continued provision of subsidies to L1 and L2 clubs.
But first and foremost, the reimbursement of the 25% deduction from the grant.Faced with the boycott threats announced by clubs not to take part in the various competitions organized by the Burkina Faso Football Federation, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) decided to postpone the 11th day of Ligue 1 and the 6th day of Ligue 2.Since then, the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships have been suspended until further notice. The suffocating pressure is taking its toll on Burkina Faso's king sport.
Mediation fails
The mediation initiated on November 20, 2023 by Jean Yaméogo, President of the Comité national olympique et des sports burkinabè (CNOSB), failed to bear fruit. The clubs calling for Lazare Banssé's resignation have stuck to their guns, refusing to resume the championship. FBF President Lazare Banssé refuses to resign, arguing that he was elected at an Ordinary General Meeting and that some clubs and structures continue to support him.
Faced with these two clear positions, mediator Jean Yaméogo threw in the towel at the end of the second mediation meeting held on November 28 in Ouagadougou. He even indicated that they would consider excluding soccer from their structure.
Clubs divided
The tug-of-war between the Fédération burkinabè de soccer de (FBF) and the clubs of the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 leagues, however, has taken another turn. At a time when some are calling for the resignation of President Banssé, others have signed a motion in his favor. These new positions are making discussions stormy. "What we're accusing Lazare Banssé of is a crisis of confidence. We didn't see that he was reproaching himself for something and that he wanted to make amends. That's why we've taken this decision, which is difficult for us," says Koudougou David Yaméogo, a member of the rebel clubs.
Boukaré Savadogo, president of Etoile Filante de Ouagadougou (EFO), is in a moderate frame of mind. "We're in a difficult context.The nation itself is having difficulties. If we go to the African Cup of Nations with tense situations between players, it may be difficult to achieve good results."
Banssé "There are invisible hands..."
Interviewed on the 8pm news of Burkina Faso's national television network (RTB) to share his views on the crisis shaking Burkina Faso soccer, FBF President Lazare Banssé believes that there are invisible hands behind the multiple crises within the Federation since his arrival. He also announced that the championship will resume. "When we arrived, we wanted to unite soccer players around an ideal, because we noticed that there were a lot of divisions. Unfortunately, some wanted to camp on different sides. This is what we wanted to continue. There are invisible hands, notably an invisible hand, a former sports leader, who is instrumentalizing... everyone knows the name of the witch but refuses to say her name", he stressed.
On the currently suspended championship, Lazare Banssé announces its resumption: "We have decided to launch the championship. The championship will be launched and we will simply apply the championship rules. Clubs that don't show up will be declared forfeiters and will lose 3 points. Clubs that fail to turn up twice in a row will automatically be relegated to the lower division.
In view of the situation, however, it is difficult to predict when the crisis will end.
