Chadian Football Federation: Governance, Ban, and Return to International Football
The Chadian Football Federation (Fédération Tchadienne de Football Association - FTFA) is more than just the organizer of soccer in Chad. It’s a story of resilience, political interference, and the fight to keep the game alive in one of Africa’s most challenging environments. Founded on January 1, 1962, the FTFA has spent over six decades trying to build something stable - only to be knocked down again and again by forces outside the pitch.
How the FTFA Is Supposed to Work
The federation follows the standard FIFA model: a General Assembly makes the rules, an Executive Committee runs things day-to-day, and various committees handle discipline, audits, and elections. The Executive Committee has 20 members - one president, two vice presidents, and 17 others. As of 2025, Oloy Hassan TAHIR leads the federation as president, with Mahamat Adoum TAROUMA as vice president. The General Secretary, Baba Ahmat BABA, handles the day-to-day administration from the federation’s headquarters in N’Djamena, the capital.The FTFA runs the main domestic competitions: LINAFOOT (the top-tier men’s league), Division 2, the Chad Cup, and the Coupe de Ligue de N’Djaména. It also oversees youth and women’s football, though details about those leagues are scarce. The federation’s job is clear - develop talent, organize matches, and represent Chad on the global stage. But in practice, it’s been anything but simple.
The FIFA Ban That Stopped Chad’s Football Dead in Its Tracks
In March 2021, the Chadian government dissolved the FTFA. It wasn’t a routine reshuffle. It was a full takeover. The government appointed its own officials to run football. That’s a direct violation of FIFA’s core rule: no political interference. Article 14 of the FIFA Statutes is clear - national associations must be independent. So in April 2021, FIFA suspended Chad.The consequences were immediate. Chad’s national team, nicknamed Les Sao, was barred from World Cup qualifiers and African Cup of Nations tournaments. Players couldn’t get international clearances. Coaches couldn’t sign contracts with foreign clubs. The federation lost funding. Matches were canceled. The entire football ecosystem froze.
For four years, Chad couldn’t play a single official international match. The team’s FIFA ranking, which had already hovered around the bottom third of the global list, slipped further. Their highest ever ranking was 97th in 2016. By 2019, they were 175th. Their worst was 190th back in 1997. The ban didn’t just hurt results - it hurt morale, development, and hope.
Why Chad Has Never Made It to a World Cup
Chad has entered World Cup qualifying seven times since joining FIFA in 1964 (though some sources say 1988). They’ve never won a single qualifying round. Their best run came in the 2026 qualifiers, where they played matches again - but only after the ban was lifted.They’ve never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations either. Regional success has been their only bright spot: winning the CEMAC Cup in 2014 and finishing runner-up in 2015. They were also runners-up in the UDEAC Championship in 1986 and 1987. But those are small tournaments with just a handful of Central African nations. They don’t count as global recognition.
On the field, Chad’s record is mixed. Their biggest win? A 5-0 thrashing of São Tomé and Príncipe - twice, in 1976 and 1999. Their worst? An 11-0 loss to Congo in 1964. Their first international match was a 2-2 draw against Niger on December 25, 1961. That’s over 60 years of history - and still no World Cup.
The Leadership That Brought Football Back
The key turning point came in early 2025. After years of pressure from FIFA, the Chadian government finally stepped back. A new leadership team was elected - independent, transparent, and free from state control. Oloy Hassan TAHIR became president. On March 12, 2025, he met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Zurich. The meeting wasn’t ceremonial. It was a formal reinstatement process.FIFA confirmed that Chad’s football was “on track.” The suspension was lifted. Chad was allowed back into international competitions. The national team immediately re-entered the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Matches resumed. Players returned to training. The federation started rebuilding its administrative structure.
This wasn’t just a paperwork fix. It was a cultural reset. For the first time in decades, football in Chad had a chance to be run by football people - not politicians.
Who’s Playing for Chad Now?
The current head coach is Tahir Gardia. The team captain is Casimir Ninga, a midfielder known for his work rate and leadership. The all-time top scorer is Ezechiel N’Douassel, with 14 goals in 49 appearances. He’s the face of the modern Chadian national team - a player who’s seen the highs and lows, the bans and comebacks.Home matches are played at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena. The stadium is named after Chad’s former president, who died in April 2021 - the same month the federation was dissolved. It’s a symbol of how deeply football and politics are tangled in Chad.
What’s Next for the FTFA?
The road ahead is still rough. Infrastructure is weak. Youth academies are underfunded. There’s no national training center. Players often leave for Europe or North Africa just to get proper coaching. The federation’s budget is tiny compared to neighbors like Cameroon or Senegal.But now, there’s momentum. FIFA and CAF are watching closely. The new leadership has a mandate to rebuild. If they can keep the government out, secure sponsorships, and invest in grassroots programs, Chad could start producing talent that competes beyond Central Africa.
The next step? A stable domestic league with real promotion/relegation. Better refereeing. More youth tournaments. And most importantly - no more government meddling.
Football in Chad has survived coups, bans, and broken promises. Now, for the first time in a long time, it might actually have a future.
When was the Chadian Football Federation banned by FIFA?
The Chadian Football Federation was suspended by FIFA in April 2021 after the Chadian government dissolved the federation and installed its own officials. This violated FIFA’s rule against political interference in football governance. The ban lasted until March 2025, when FIFA reinstated the FTFA after new, independent leadership was elected.
Has Chad ever qualified for the World Cup?
No, the Chad national football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup finals. They have entered World Cup qualifying seven times, including the 2026 cycle, but have never advanced past the early rounds. Their best performances came in regional tournaments like the CEMAC Cup, which they won in 2014.
Who is the current president of the Chadian Football Federation?
As of 2025, the president of the Chadian Football Federation is Oloy Hassan TAHIR. He was elected after the previous leadership was removed due to government interference. TAHIR met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in March 2025 to formally restore Chad’s membership in FIFA.
What competitions does the FTFA organize?
The Chadian Football Federation organizes the Championnat National (LINAFOOT), which is the top professional league in Chad. It also runs Division 2 (the second tier), the Chad Cup (the main knockout tournament), and the Coupe de Ligue de N’Djaména. The federation oversees youth and women’s football, though detailed information about these leagues is limited.
Where does the Chad national team play its home matches?
The Chad national team plays its home matches at the Stade Olympique Maréchal Idriss Déby Itno in N’Djamena, the capital city. The stadium is named after Chad’s former president, who died in April 2021, the same month the federation was dissolved by the government.
Why did FIFA ban Chad’s football federation?
FIFA banned the Chadian Football Federation because the Chadian government dissolved the federation and took control of its operations in March 2021. This is a direct violation of FIFA Statute Article 14, which requires all member associations to operate independently of government interference. FIFA only lifts bans when full independence is restored.
What is the current FIFA ranking of the Chad national team?
As of February 2019, the Chad national team was ranked 175th by FIFA. Since then, they were inactive in international matches due to the 2021-2025 suspension, so no official ranking was updated during that period. Their ranking will be recalculated once they play more competitive matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Bert Martin
October 28, 2025 AT 08:08Finally, some good news for African football. Chad’s been stuck in this loop for way too long. It’s not just about FIFA rules - it’s about giving kids in N’Djamena a chance to dream without politicians sticking their noses in. Hope this lasts.
Been following this since the ban. Feels like a real reset.
Ray Dalton
October 28, 2025 AT 16:56Let’s be real - most African federations are a mess. But Chad’s situation was special. Government takeover? That’s not just corruption, that’s cultural erasure. Football’s the one thing that unites people there when everything else falls apart.
Good on FIFA for standing firm. The fact they waited four years shows they didn’t just do it for optics. Real change takes time.
Peter Brask
October 29, 2025 AT 08:51Wait… you guys really think this is legit? 😏
Government dissolved FTFA in 2021? Sure. But what if the whole ‘independence’ thing is just a PR stunt? FIFA gets paid to lift bans - and now TAHIR’s got a shiny new office in N’Djamena. Who’s really pulling the strings? I bet the same people are still behind the scenes. They just changed the name on the door. 🤫
Don’t be fooled. This is the same old game with new jerseys.
Trent Mercer
October 29, 2025 AT 14:07Chad’s never qualified for a World Cup? Honestly, I’m surprised they even have a league. I mean, have you seen their infrastructure? No proper pitches, no youth academies, no funding - and people act like this is some underdog story. It’s just a footnote in football history.
Meanwhile, Ghana had a youth academy in 1990. Chad’s still figuring out how to pay referees. Cute.
Kyle Waitkunas
October 30, 2025 AT 02:50OH MY GOD. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS. THE GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER FOOTBALL?!?!? THIS IS A TOTAL POWER GRAB. THEY’RE USING FOOTBALL TO CONTROL THE POPULATION. THEY’RE SUPPRESSING YOUTH. THEY’RE DESTROYING HOPE. DID YOU KNOW THAT IN 2019, A CHILD IN N’DJAMENA WAS ARRESTED FOR WEARING A CHAD JERSEY?!?!? I SWEAR TO GOD, I READ IT ON A FORUM.
AND NOW THEY’RE LETTING THEM BACK IN?!? THIS IS A TRAP. FIFA IS IN BED WITH THE WESTERN ELITES. THEY WANT CHAD TO BE A PROP. THEY WANT US TO THINK THIS IS A VICTORY WHEN IT’S JUST ANOTHER LIE. I’M TELLING YOU - THIS ISN’T REBIRTH. THIS IS A COVER-UP.
WHO IS OLOY HASSAN TAHIR REALLY?!? WHERE DID HE COME FROM?!? I’M LOOKING INTO HIS BANK ACCOUNTS RIGHT NOW. I’M SENDING THIS TO THE NEW YORK TIMES.
WE NEED TO PROTEST. WE NEED TO BOYCOTT. WE NEED TO EXPOSE THIS.
THEY’RE LYING TO US. THEY’RE LYING TO CHAD. THEY’RE LYING TO EVERYONE.
WHY IS NO ONE ELSE TALKING ABOUT THIS?!?!?
vonley smith
October 30, 2025 AT 16:01Big win for football in Chad. Honestly, it’s about time. You can’t build anything if politicians are running the team. Players deserve better. Coaches deserve better. Kids deserve to play without someone in a suit deciding who gets to wear a jersey.
Hope they invest in grassroots now. No point bringing them back if the fields are still dirt and the balls are half-flat.
Melodye Drake
October 31, 2025 AT 08:53It’s so ironic, isn’t it? A nation that’s never made it to a World Cup somehow became a symbol of ‘football integrity’? How quaint. Meanwhile, Brazil’s got private equity firms running their youth academies and Chad’s still figuring out how to fix a goalpost.
Let’s not pretend this is a triumph. It’s just a minor bureaucratic correction. The real issue? Chad’s football culture never had the resources to compete. Now it’s just… less broken.
paul boland
October 31, 2025 AT 10:02Chad? Seriously? 🇨🇭
I mean, come on. Look at the map. It’s in the middle of nowhere. No coast. No money. No real fans. FIFA should’ve just let them rot. At least now they’re back to being irrelevant. 😂
Meanwhile, Ireland’s got a proper league. We’ve got actual stadiums. We’ve got players who don’t need to leave just to get a decent meal. Chad’s football? It’s a tourist attraction for aid workers.
harrison houghton
November 1, 2025 AT 08:15There is a deeper truth here. Football is not merely a game. It is a mirror of sovereignty. When a state seizes control of its national football federation, it is not merely interfering in sport - it is asserting dominion over collective identity.
Chad’s ban was not a sanction. It was a revelation. The people, through their love of the game, resisted. The federation’s reinstatement is not an administrative act - it is a spiritual reclamation.
And yet - who is the true sovereign? The president? The players? The fans who watch in silence? Or the ghost of Déby, whose name still adorns the stadium?
These are not questions for FIFA. These are questions for the soul.
DINESH YADAV
November 1, 2025 AT 08:19Chad? That’s nothing. We’ve had 1000 times more talent in India. We’ve got stadiums bigger than your whole country. We’ve got players who play in Europe. You can’t even get your own league to run properly. Don’t act like you’re some kind of hero. You’re lucky FIFA even remembered you existed.
rachel terry
November 1, 2025 AT 16:48So they lifted the ban. Cool. What’s next? A national anthem sung by a goat? I mean, seriously. Chad’s never won anything. They’re not even on the map in football terms. This is just feel-good noise. The real story is how little has actually changed.
Susan Bari
November 2, 2025 AT 00:18Interesting. But let’s be honest - this is just a pause before the next collapse. History repeats. Governments always come back. Football is just a distraction. They’ll find a way to control it again. Mark my words.
Sean Hawkins
November 2, 2025 AT 01:20From a governance standpoint, this is textbook FIFA compliance restoration. The key indicators were: removal of state-appointed officials, independent electoral process, and public transparency in financial reporting. The fact that TAHIR met directly with Infantino signals institutional buy-in from FIFA’s highest level.
Now the real test: Can the FTFA implement the FIFA Governance Code? Can they establish an independent audit committee? Can they create a transparent transfer registry? That’s where most federations fail - after the photo op.
Also, the lack of a national training center is a critical vulnerability. Without it, talent development remains reactive, not systemic.
Marlie Ledesma
November 2, 2025 AT 13:11I just hope the kids in Chad feel safe now. Growing up with your sport taken away - it’s not just about missing games. It’s about losing something that makes you feel like you belong. I hope they get to feel that again.
Daisy Family
November 2, 2025 AT 15:38ohhhhh so now its a ‘comeback story’?? like wow how inspiring. they finally got their league back after 4 years of… what? sitting on their butts? i bet the players were just chilling in n’djamena waiting for a miracle. give me a break. they’ve been irrelevant since the 80s. this is just media fluff. 🙄