FIFA and the Confederation of African Football have held their first meeting with a five-member panel they hope will help accelerate the reform process at the Cairo-based continental body.

Abdoulaye Diop, the former foreign minister of Mali; Hossam El Shafei (Egypt), Janet Katisya (Kenya), Martin Ngoga (Rwanda) and Ghanaian judge Anin Yeboah have been asked to serve on independent task force in the wake of the takeover of the management of CAF by world football’s governing body.

“You members of the task force are the foundation from which the future African football will be built. We count on your support, your passion and innovation,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino after chairing its first meeting in Cairo on Tuesday.

Topics discussed were auditing, underlining transparency in CAF’s operations, the necessity for the highest standards of compliance; effective and professional organisation of competitions, growth and development of African football as well as advancement and support for CAF’s 54 member association, said a CAF statement on Wednesday.

The meeting also touched upon football safety and security, African football governance and revenue generation for the continent’s competitions and events.

The administration of CAF was taken over on Aug. 1 by FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura in the wake of allegations of corruption and sexual harassment against CAF president Ahmad Ahmad.

“There are obstacles that we faced that resulted in our request for assistance. That’s why we also need you, the independent experts. Together we will move forward,” Ahmad said in a statement on the CAF website.

Soka25east.com