Ivorian legend, Didier Drogba, and former Super Falcons striker, Mercy Akide, have been named among 16 former international footballers selected by FIFA to serve on its newly created players’ voice panel aimed at tackling racism and discrimination in the game.
According to a statement issued by FIFA via its social media pages on Friday, Akide, a veteran of three Women’s World Cups, was chosen alongside ex-internationals drawn from 14 member associations across all six FIFA confederations.
The statement said the 50-year-old will serve on the panel with Liberia’s president and former Ballon d’Or winner, George Weah.
Other African football icons on the list include Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo and Senegal’s Khalilou Fadiga.
The global panel also features Iván Córdoba (Colombia), Formiga (Brazil), Jessica Houara (France), Maia Jackman (New Zealand), Sun Jihai (China PR), Blaise Matuidi (France), Aya Miyama (Japan), Lotta Schelin (Sweden), Briana Scurry (United States), Mikaël Silvestre (France) and Juan Pablo Sorín (Argentina).
According to FIFA, the panel members will raise awareness of enhanced measures against racism through education in their regions, highlight the impact of abuse on players and football as a whole, and provide practical advice on response strategies.
FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said the individual experiences of the former stars would strengthen the global fight against racism.
He said, “These 16 panel members will support education at all levels of the game and promote new ideas for lasting change.
“They will further push for a shift in football culture, making sure measures to counter racism are not just talked about, but actioned, both on and off the pitch.
“Let’s be clear on this: Racism and discrimination are not simply wrong – they are crimes. All incidents of racism, whether in stadiums or online, must be fully punished both by football and across society.”
The players’ voice panel was set up under pillar five of FIFA’s global stand against racism, which was unanimously adopted at the 74th FIFA Congress last year.
Racism has remained a persistent challenge in football, with recent incidents reported across some of the world’s biggest leagues.
