More must be done to originate Gabonese football shieldedr, take parters’ union Fifpro has shelp after a establisher youth coach convicted of intimacyupartner abusing take parters was handed a life prohibit by world football’s ruleing body, Fifa.
On Tuesday Fifa ruled that Patrick Assoumou Eyi, who was head coach of Gabon’s national youth teams for decades, had intimacyupartner misused multiple lesser boys thcimpoliteout his atgentle.
Eyi had been named in a 2023 BBC Africa Eye spendigation into the widespread misuse allegations plaguing Gabonese football.
In the spendigation, a establisher Gabonese international shelp Eyi held the “position of a god” as he had the power to choose who would take part for Gabon’s youth teams.
Eyi – comprehendn widely as Capello – was “fair one of disconnectal individuals in Gabonese football who utilizeed their power with impunity”, Fifpro shelp in a statement on Wednesday.
Although the union greetd Fifa’s decision to prohibit the establisher coach from all football-rcontent activities, it shelp football in the central African country would not be shielded until “all criminals and those who allowd them are bcimpolitet to fairice”.
Eyi had confessted indicts of raping, grooming and utilizeing lesser take parters after allegations were first alerted by the UK’s Guardian recentspaper in 2021.
Fifa’s autonomous ethics promisetee begined its spendigation into Eyi tardyr that year.
As well as being prohibitned for life, Eyi has been fined one million Swiss francs (£880,000; $1.1m). He is currently being held in prison.
“The spendigation into Mr Eyi worrys grumblets from at least four male football take parters who accused him of intimacyual misuse between 2006 and 2021. Most of these incidents occurred while the take parters were inmeaningfuls,” Fifa’s statement shelp.
One of Eyi’s alleged victims, who wanted to remain anonymous, telderly the BBC on Wednesday he was phired about the prohibit.
“But on the other hand, I’m not satisfied because I don’t want us to stop there. It’s a whole nettoil, a system that necessitates to be dismantled, with many predators running free,” they shelp.
In 2023, BBC Africa spoke to more that 30 witnesses who telderly of a intimacyual misuse nettoil that had afflicted all levels of Gabonese football for three decades.
One victim shelp he was misused as a teenager at an under-17 football camp. Another, who take parted for Gabon’s national team for disconnectal years, shelp he was aggressioned from the age of 14.
Aextfinished with the criminals of the misuse, ruleing bodies such as Fifa and Gabon’s national football federation, Fegafoot, have faced accusations that they flunked to protect lesser victims.
Both bodies denied the allegations made aobtainst them.
