Mali football veteran steps away from FEMAFOOT election body after four decades of service

Alpha Amadou Guitteye has formally resigned as vice-president and a member of the First Instance Electoral Commission of the Malian Football Federation (FEMAFOOT), bringing his institutional role in the game to an end amid tensions surrounding football elections in Mali.

Guitteye submitted his resignation in a letter addressed to the president of the federation’s Executive Committee. The decision ends more than 40 years of involvement in Malian football, including five years spent serving on the electoral body.

His departure comes at a sensitive moment for the national game, with strong tensions surrounding electoral issues within football in Mali. Guitteye said he had considered the decision carefully and had previously expressed his wish to hand over responsibility.

The FEMAFOOT official, who holds the distinction of Officer of the National Order, said his age and experience now led him towards a different role in the football community. Rather than continuing in an institutional position, he believes he should act as a wise figure, conciliator and mediator, helping to ease tensions in the sport.

Guitteye leaves the commission after insisting that he always carried out his responsibilities with fairness, transparency and a sense of responsibility. He departs with the belief that he has fulfilled his duty during his time in the organisation.

His resignation marks the conclusion of his institutional career in Malian football, but his message focused on the future of the game rather than on his own departure. He expressed the hope that football in Mali can move beyond its current turbulence and recover unity and calm.

He also wished for the sport to return to a path of progress, underlining his desire to see an end to divisions surrounding its electoral affairs. His decision to step aside is therefore presented as a considered handover, with Guitteye seeking to contribute to reconciliation from the position of an elder statesman rather than through formal office.

After more than four decades of service, and five years on the First Instance Electoral Commission, the former vice-president has now brought his involvement in that body to a close. His resignation leaves behind a record defined, in his own assessment, by equitable and transparent conduct, while placing renewed emphasis on the need for unity and serenity in Malian football.