Extra should be achieved to make Gabonese soccer safer, gamers’ union Fifpro has mentioned after a former youth coach convicted of sexually abusing gamers was handed a life ban by world soccer’s governing physique, Fifa.
On Tuesday Fifa dominated that Patrick Assoumou Eyi, who was head coach of Gabon’s nationwide youth groups for many years, had sexually abused a number of younger boys all through his profession.
Eyi had been named in a 2023 BBC Africa Eye investigation into the widespread abuse allegations plaguing Gabonese soccer.
Within the investigation, a former Gabonese worldwide mentioned Eyi held the “place of a god” as he had the ability to determine who would play for Gabon’s youth groups.
Eyi – identified extensively as Capello – was “simply one among a number of people in Gabonese soccer who exploited their energy with impunity”, Fifpro mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday.
Though the union welcomed Fifa’s resolution to ban the previous coach from all football-related actions, it mentioned soccer within the central African nation wouldn’t be protected till “all perpetrators and those that enabled them are dropped at justice”.
Eyi had admitted fees of raping, grooming and exploiting younger gamers after allegations had been first reported by the UK’s Guardian newspaper in 2021.
Fifa’s unbiased ethics committee launched its investigation into Eyi later that 12 months.
In addition to being banned for all times, Eyi has been fined a million Swiss francs (£880,000; $1.1m). He’s at present being held in jail.
“The investigation into Mr Eyi considerations complaints from a minimum of 4 male soccer gamers who accused him of sexual abuse between 2006 and 2021. Most of those incidents occurred whereas the gamers had been minors,” Fifa’s assertion mentioned.
One in all Eyi’s alleged victims, who needed to stay nameless, advised the BBC on Wednesday he was happy in regards to the ban.
“However then again, I am not happy as a result of I do not need us to cease there. It is a complete community, a system that must be dismantled, with many predators operating free,” they mentioned.
In 2023, BBC Africa spoke to extra that 30 witnesses who advised of a sexual abuse community that had stricken all ranges of Gabonese soccer for 3 a long time.
One sufferer mentioned he was abused as a young person at an under-17 soccer camp. One other, who performed for Gabon’s nationwide workforce for a number of years, mentioned he was assaulted from the age of 14.
Together with the perpetrators of the abuse, governing our bodies corresponding to Fifa and Gabon’s nationwide soccer federation, Fegafoot, have confronted accusations that they failed to guard younger victims.
Each our bodies denied the allegations made towards them.
