For the first time, a woman -- and from Africa -- takes a seat on the prestigious FIFA executive committee board, one of the top jobs in football, Inas Mazhar reports Lydia , the only woman president of a federation in all of world football, has now become the first woman member of the FIFA executive committee. , president of the Burundi Federation, thus becomes the first African woman to win the seat, a victory for Africa, two years after the continent hosted its first ever World Cup. FIFA's executive committee is the organisation's main decision-making body. The executive committee consists of a president, elected by the FIFA congress in the year following a FIFA World Cup, eight vice-presidents and 15 members, appointed by the confederations and associations. It meets at least twice a year, with the mandate for each member lasting four years. Its role includes determining the dates, locations and format of tournaments, appointing FIFA delegates to the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football, and electing and dismissing the general secretary in light of proposals by the FIFA president. Two years ago, FIFA President Joseph Blatter told Al-Ahram Weekly in an exclusive interview that it was easier for a woman to become a FIFA president than an executive committee board member. "For a woman to join the FIFA executive committee she has to come after going through elections and winning in her continental federation and this is very difficult. But she can easily go through elections for the president's seat," Blatter told the Weekly in January 2010. Last year, at the congress meetings in Zurich, Blatter, who was re-elected to a fourth term, succeeded in persuading the congress that a female representative be co-opted until 2013, and subsequently elected by the FIFA congress. The congress agreed and this year it was implemented. The appointment of was ratified this week and her official entry into the executive committee was welcomed by a standing ovation from the congress attendees. Jeffrey Webb (Cayman Islands), new president of CONCACAF, was officially installed as a FIFA vice-president and a FIFA executive committee member, and Marco Polo del Nero (Brazil) as a FIFA executive committee member. According to Egypt's Sahar El-Hawari, a member of FIFA's women's committee, 's appointment was expected. "She is a colleague on the women's committee and she's the only female president of a football federation in the world which has made her the most eligible for the seat. This way no one can complain," El-Hawari said. "She deserves it and being a president of a football federation is a credit to her. She got it after hard work." British/Nigerian Journalist Osasu Obayiuwana described 's victory as "a good day for Africa." Obayiuwana, associate editor Lydia of the New African magazine told the Weekly that he expected the selection. "In one of my interviews with Mr Blatter last year before his re-election, he did mention to me the candidacy of Lydia. So, I'm not surprised she was the one." Keir Radnedge, chairman of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) Football Commission, said landed the post despite grumblings from the old guard. On the AIPS official website, Radnedge wrote, " is anything but a token woman, promoted to offer FIFA a less chauvinistic, old-boy image. She is the daughter of a sultan, a successful business woman and a member of the International Olympic Committee. "Sepp Blatter had told the FIFA Congress in Zurich last year that the significance of women's football �ê" never mind expectations of a modern society �ê" demanded that the exco open its doors to a female representative. "Since this year fell in between the election cycles, there was no natural vacancy on the exco and the precise composition of a future exco is still being discussed within the reform process. "Hence Blatter proposed that the exco co-opt a woman this time around and create the judicial circumstances for a representative of the woman's game to be voted in by right next year. As Blatter said, gallantly: 'At last, after 108 years of men's power, we have the honour and pleasure to invite a lady to take part in our executive committee.' Not that our executive committee'was wholly welcoming." According to Radnedge, after wrapping up the congress, Blatter said: "I have to report that some members of the executive committee said: 'One year for a woman on the committee and then we will see about the future.' But I (Blatter) will defend this situation now that we have achieved it." Radnedge continues: "There was also a move by some people who said: 'If we are going to take a vote next year then surely there is no reason to admit a woman to the executive committee now.' "That's true," Radnedge quoted Blatter as saying. "It has been written down in meeting notes." But 's presence on the stage among other exco members at the end of the congress in Budapest proved that this was another battle Blatter had won against the old guard.
