Benin: why is the FBF blocking the creation of a disputes chamber?

"It's a sad state of affairs, but Beninese players are treated like nothing in our country. We can't say anything else. " Wenceslas Teko, communications and external relations officer at the UNFPB (the National Union of Professional Footballers of Benin, chaired by former international Romuald Boco), is one of the voices speaking out against the precarious situation facing Beninese footballers in the first or second division. "Of the 36 clubs, there are only 6 where the union hasn't been called in over late salary payments, which shows just how deeply rooted the system is."

Last year, the countless unpaid wages led to bizarre episodes such as the detention of eight Jeunesse Sportive de Ouidah players, who had demanded from their club four months of unpaid salary and four unpaid bonuses. "We're housed in Ouidah in a place that's unfit to live in, " goalkeeper Gilchrist Vanou told Sport News Africa. "There's no water, no electricity, no food, and it's hard for us to sleep... We tried to meet the club's officials, but they don't respond. So we decided to go and see them. The director had asked us for 72 hours to sort out the situation. After the 72 hours, we came back because nothing had improved. We were waiting for the director to come out when they called the police. We were picked up and spent the night at the police station. "

In the end, mediation by the UNFPB and COSI Bénin, the Confederation of Independent Trade Union Organisations, secured the release of the eight players the following day...

The Federation is not answering FIFPRO's letters

For more than a year, the UNFPB and other Beninese stakeholders (former players, journalists and magistrates) have been calling for a national disputes resolution chamber to be created, as a way of guaranteeing local footballers a minimum level of rights. "Players are in such a position of weakness that they can't claim anything, nothing at all, " Wenceslas Teko laments. " Clubs know the players don't have the means to go to local or national courts. When it's a foreigner, teams are careful because they know that through our union, we can go straight to FIFA's legal department. But when it's a Beninese player, they don't care, because it has to go through the national disputes resolution chamber. And it doesn't exist."

Read also: Benin: a look back at an improbable first half of the league season

On 30 August 2023, FIFPRO, the global players' union, sent an official letter to the Beninese Federation asking about the worrying situation of local players regarding unpaid wages and the absence of a resolution chamber. Nearly a year later, FIFPRO is still waiting for a reply from the FBF and had to chase the federation with an official letter on 9 July 2024. "The federation has no interest in this chamber being set up, " says Teko. "The reason is simple: most club presidents are also federation members, sometimes on the Executive Committee... "

A system involving the Federation and the clubs

Contrary to the directives of FIFA, which encourages the creation of such national chambers worldwide, the FBF shows no interest in putting such a mechanism in place. Without a word, it announced the resumption of the league on 15 August without ensuring that clubs settle their salary arrears to their players.

Among the bad payers are several senior federation figures, such as Innocent Atindehou, chief of staff to the FBF president, who runs Jeunesse Sportive de Ouidah, the team that saw eight of its players end up in police custody, or Pedro Ayema, the FBF's fifth vice-president and owner of Club Ayema FC. The irregularities also regularly affect Requins de l'Atlantique, AS Tonnerre de Bohicon and Hodio de Come.

Where has the State's money gone?

Beyond late salaries, Beninese clubs are arrogating powers to themselves in disregard of the law and local players' rights. "Why is this resolution chamber important?" Teko asks. "Because it will deal with unpaid wages, unilateral termination of contracts, copies of contracts not given to players, and cases of injured players without health insurance, etc. "

Although a meeting between the union and former Sports Minister Oswald Homéky took place last year, no progress has been reported on the FBF's side. Yet the Beninese state has committed heavy investment to support national football and its clubs. Given that, two questions arise: where has that money gone, and why is nobody saying anything?

 

Romain MOLINA