Captain Ibrahim Traoré has warned officials not to play favorites or cut side deals as Burkina Faso sets up its new Ligue de la Souveraineté
Speaking Monday to regional governors and sports officials, Traoré said the league should not become a place for arrangements between relatives or attempts to push some people ahead of others. The warning comes as the government prepares how the competition will be run and covered by the media.
The league, approved by the Council of Ministers on October 8, will have 20 teams — mostly one per region, with extra slots for the Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso areas. The goal is to spread high-level sport beyond the big cities and give regional teams a clearer identity.
Selected athletes are promised at least 200,000 FCFA a month plus other benefits, and the project is expected to create close to 1,000 jobs. Governors will handle the hiring of coaches and the regional championships used to pick players. Traoré told them their main responsibility is now on the line. He also asked the private sector for support, calling it a “voluntary but obligatory” contribution in each regio.
Traoré tied the league to a wider effort to reshape Burkinabè sport and give young people healthier options, saying a nation cannot be built with a youth that is “sick” or unaware.
Sports Minister Annick Lydie Djouma Pikbougoum/Zingué Ouattara, budget officials, private-sector representatives, and former players including Charles Kaboré were present. Full rules and the calendar are still to come.