FIFA MASTER ALUMNI - WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - SAMSON ADAMU

Samson Adamu

Current Position: Director of Competitions at CAF

Year of Graduation: 2009 (9th edition)

Nationality: Nigerian

What does your current role involve?

To put it in simple terms, my role as the Director of Competitions is centred around “implementation”. My role is implementing the competitions regulations, decisions of the executive committee, senior management strategies, match preparations and tournament operations. We (my team and I) manage the operations of around 816 matches yearly and about 27 competitions across two years. To achieve these, we administer and conduct training for roughly 450 match officials, conduct the draws for a lot of events, monitor all of the matches, collaborate with other departments and external stakeholders such as the Member Associations, FIFA, other confederations, media, ministries and local organising committees.

Which aspects of the FIFA Master course have helped you most in your career?

On a personal and professional level, the FIFA Master has been a key factor in all the little successes I have enjoyed thus far. Even though it has been a long time since I studied the content of the course, it taught me how to think when it comes to the sports industry and connected me to a world of incredible people from all backgrounds and origins that I can rely on throughout my career. The camaraderie of my fellow classmates and alumni who I came to meet during the course, or after I graduated, were also fundamental for the development of my career.

What advice would you give to future students on the course?

Study as much as you can, take the Final Project seriously but don’t get obsessed with trying to get good grades. Don’t try too hard to network with the guest speakers. The relationships you form with your classmates are far more important. Don’t forget to have fun while you are studying too!

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked No.1 Course in Europe 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 by the SportBusiness International global rankings.

Organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (United Kingdom), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).