African Sports Monthly International Women's Day Special Edition | Page 24

“At first I hesitated because the situation was too bad in the federation. But they insisted.
Finally, I agreed on the condition that once I am elected they should be ready to accept
changes,” she recalled.

Her ascension though unheralded was a watershed moment in the history of soccer and FIFA
as an exclusively male dominated organization for her to become the first woman to ever be
elected to that position.
After assuming the hot seat Nsekera restored fiscal discipline, overhauled the regulations and
reorganized the local leagues that had been out of action for three consecutive years.
“I especially got the right to minimize problems, to eradicate the endemic corruption in the
system, which even destroyed national competitions. There were no more championships.
We needed to restart everything,” she said.
“Now there is financial discipline, we have three league divisions. I carried out an audit to
establish the number of players we have in and outside the country,” she added.

Following the institution of changes, she got FIFA to re-embraced the FFB into her fold and
responded by bankrolling the construction of the local FA with a new state of the art office
complex and established a national training centre for young players in Bujumbura.

Lean in physical stature, the Burundi soccer administrator Iron Lady no nonsense approach in
handling matters and her firm leadership was credited as the reason they won the heart of
FIFA back.
She reportedly never let the issue of her gender take precedence in handling matters of
administration … to her she was a soccer administrator first.

“Lydia is a woman who managed to put everybody right,” said former FIFA President Sepp
Blatter.
Her impact was not only felt in administrative circles but also on the pitch where the
country’s national soccer team’s performance improved so dramatically that they barely
missed qualifying for the African Cup of Nations that was held in Ghana in 2008.

During her tenure as FA chief she pushed for more female involvement in the game. She
reportedly suggested that women fans should be allowed in soccer venues free of charge as a
result the sport became very appreciated among the fairer sex.

“Till today, I never sign anything if there is no feminine sector in what they propose [to] me.
Feminine soccer has to develop in the same way as male soccer and in all domains; refereeing
training, administration, governance, status of the players, and marketing.” she vowed.
Nsekera who was born on 20th April 1967 holds of a Degree in Economics and
Administrative Sciences from University of Burundi and she is on the record to have admitted
that she never played soccer in her heydays but that she was only involved in basketball and
athletics (high Jump).