Multi-award winning journalist Aliou Goloko, now candidate for the Presidency of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), aims to make history – with a manifesto as poignant as his illustrious career.
Known for his background in sports journalism, he is advocating for a development-oriented approach, with expertise in communications and supporting African talents.
Talking to media professionals this week, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) media officer stated:
“I am more recognized in the field of sports journalism. I have worked with numerous Senegalese and international media outlets. I have always wanted to tell the story of African talents. Today, I advise players and officials on their image. My candidacy aims to demonstrate that you don’t need to be a club president to lead the FSF. Above all, you need to be a builder,” Aliou reiterated.
Although he is not a club executive, Aliou Goloko asserts that he has contributed concretely to the development of local football over the years. He cites, in particular, the creation of the logo for the Senegalese Professional Football League (LSFP) through his company, as well as sponsorship initiatives.
“I negotiated a naming rights contract for the Professional League, which will be activated next season, in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. I also secured sponsors for three Ligue 1 clubs.”
Aliou Goloko’s first major initiative would be installing VAR in Senegalese stadiums to end violence related to refereeing decisions.
“Senegal is among the top 20 teams in the world. We need to equip ourselves with modern tools. VAR is already used in Mauritania and Ivory Coast.”
He also plans to strengthen the training of media officers in clubs to improve sponsor visibility, and to create a Refereeing commission to train young referees, just as young footballers are trained.
“The real problem with Senegalese football is money. We need to work with the government to better channel prize money from international competitions into the sports economy and retain our talents with good salaries.”
At the amateur level, Aliou Goloko has praised the efforts of the outgoing team which has strengthened the regional leagues and proposes to continue in that light.
He envisions a Senegalese Football structure, an 11th-floor story building with three floors dedicated to federation’s administration. He suggests naming it after Augustin Senghor in recognition of his contributions.
Another priority is combating fictitious clubs. According to Aliou, too many clubs exist only on paper without real activity.
“We need to rationalize. Removing licenses from inactive clubs would help manage resources better.”
Aliou Goloko has proposed creating a federation medical-sports center, along with citizenship and awareness programmes.
“The goal is to qualify for every World Cup. This would ensure the federation’s financial independence.”
His program emphasizes transparency, ethics, and inclusion.
Others he aims to achieve are;
– A comprehensive audit of the FSF at the start of his term
– The establishment of an ethics code, an independent committee, and a sports advisory council composed of external profiles for mediation and strategic guidance
– A participatory platform, SUNU Football, to allow all Senegalese citizens contribute to the development of national football
– Raise awareness among young players on communications and social media
– Promoting recreational football to practice through the creation of developmental hubs, and strengthening school football as the foundation for a sustainable future.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) elections is slated August 2, 2025, as the date for its much-anticipated elective general assembly, a key event that will decide the leadership of the federation for the next four years.
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