Meet the leaders at WFS Rabat 2025

Samson Adamu is the Director of Competitions, Tournaments, and Events at the Confederation of African Football (CAF), where he oversees the planning and delivery of all CAF Tournaments & Events, including AFCON 2025. He is also the director responsible for several departments in CAF, including Professional Football, Safety and Security, Football Events, and Incidence & Reporting. Samson is currently the project lead for AFCON Morocco 2025.

Francois is a Senior Principal at Populous and leads the Populous Paris office after having supervised for 2 years the Business Development for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) région. François is a graduated Architect (D.P.L.G. degree) from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris La Villette, after completing his studies in both Marseille, France, and Venice, Italy.

Chairman,(i.e. Minister of Sports), National Sports Commission, Nigeria ; Member FIFA Football Stakeholders Committee | Member CAF Organising Committee for Inter-Clubs Competitions and Club Licensing Management | former Vice President Nigeria Football Federation | Former Chairman Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) | a renown sports marketing, strategic development and governance expert |

Multiple award winning sports journalist Mimi Fawaz has established herself as one Africa’s most respected broadcasters. Presented several. programmes on BBC such as Focus on Africa Sport which broadcasts to over 400 million people weekly worldwide and BBC Sport Today programme. She’s also a regular contributor on CNN Sport.

Deputy Chief Member Associations Division and Regional Director for Africa at FIFA Gelson Fernandes is a former Swiss international footballe. He brings a wealth of experience to his role, focusing on strengthening global football development and fostering collaboration between FIFA and its 211 Member Associations. Committed to inclusivity and progress, he plays a key role in initiatives that enhance infrastructure, promote accessibility, and tackle discrimination in football.

Frédéric Oumar Kanouté, founder and CEO of 12 MANagement, is regarded as one of the best ever African footballers, with a distinguished career in the top leagues of France, England, and Spain. Kanouté is also the winner of many trophies and accolades, including the Europa League, Spanish Cup, UEFA Super Cup and African Footballer of the Year. An outstanding humanitarian, his philanthropic work has raised millions of Euros for charity, including through the ‘Champions for Africa’ charity football matches.

Fouzi Lekjaa has been at the helm of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) since 2014, spearheading a transformative era for Moroccan football. A key figure in global football governance, he serves as a FIFA Council member and 2nd Vice President of CAF, where he chairs the Finance Commission. Under his leadership, Morocco has made historic strides, including the men’s national team’s groundbreaking semi-final run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and a tenfold increase in investment in women’s football.

Hoalid Regragui is a Moroccan football manager and former player, born in France in 1975. As a right-back, he played professionally in France and Spain, and earned 45 caps with the Moroccan national team. After retiring, he began coaching in 2012 and gained recognition with FUS Rabat, winning the Moroccan league in 2016. He later won the Qatari league with Al-Duhail in 2020. In 2022, he led Wydad AC to both the Moroccan league title and the CAF Champions League.