We are doing our duty and do not accept anyone's guardianship over us.. We affirm: Our colleagues, Mohamed and Hossam,
have nothing to do with the media department.
We disavow the "chaos" that occurred due to the "act of an agent" in the "coverage" of the national team's last two matches in the qualifiers.
"What brought me what brought?"
In the media department of the Sudanese Football Association, we reviewed numerous articles by colleagues in various media outlets and received numerous phone calls inquiring about some details related to the media department. Due to the national team's important commitments and crucial matches at the time, we did not wish to respond to them, fearing disruption to the team's progress. Since some colleagues have returned to write again on the subject, and despite our conviction that some of them, unfortunately, have agendas they seek to implement, and some of them support those with agendas within the framework of (and prepared for them), we would like to clarify The following:
First: The Federation's Media Department is an integrated department that includes all media specialties (editors for the most important languages, poster and newspaper designers, photographers, videographers, editors, directors, content writers, and language proofreaders), whom we consider to be highly competent, working in harmony for more than four years.
Second: The Media Department, as a technical and specialized body, manages the Federation's official website www.sfa.sd and the official social media platforms, which you have known for years as official sources, under the supervision of the Federation's Secretary-General. It has continued to perform these tasks for years, keeping up to date and updating, and incorporating the opinions and suggestions of colleagues, seeking to provide content that meets aspirations.
Third: We would like to emphasize that our dear colleagues, photographers Mohamed Ismail and Hossam Haroun, are not part of the Media Department's staff. They do not even exist at any level of cooperation. The Media Department includes three photographers: Sari Zouk, Dr. Marka, and Mustafa Al-Tanou. This number is more than sufficient to accomplish the tasks. As for the assessment, capabilities, and abilities of these colleagues, you are well aware of them and do not need clarification from us.
Fourth: We have continued to hear from some colleagues that colleagues Mohamed Ismail and Hossam Haroun represent the national team's media. This is incorrect. Neither the national team has separate media from the Media Department, nor do the two colleagues work in the Media Department. All of the staff working in the Media Department were appointed years ago at the request of the Director of the Department to the Secretary-General of the Federation, the body authorized to appoint employees, pursuant to the bylaws and the Board of Directors' work regulations for the year 2025. No entity within the Federation notified us of their appointment. We reiterate that colleagues Mohamed Ismail and Hossam Haroun have no connection to the Media Department. Fifth: The frequent travel of colleagues Mohamed Ismail and Hossam Haroun with the national team recently was done by the National Teams Committee, which has the right to send whoever it wants with the team. However, this does not mean that they are part of the staff working in the Media Department. If colleagues Mohamed and Hossam were able to do that, then they are free, and if they mentioned that to some colleagues, then they are lying. The truth is that they do not work in the Media Department and accompany the team as accompanying media personnel nominated by the National Teams Committee, just like all dear colleagues who accompanied the team. Their nomination was through the Media Department, and on many occasions we would give them opportunities from the Media Department, and there was cooperation and coordination between us regarding the media message presented to the media. Sixth: All colleagues know very well that colleagues Mohamed and Hossam do not work under a commitment to any media organization. It is very natural that when they accompany the national team, they send their journalistic materials, photographs and videos to the media personally. They also publish in WhatsApp groups and their personal pages. The website and platforms of the Federation are under the management and responsibility of the Media Department, and they are not part of it. The fact that they deal with the media personally is their own business. We, as the Media Department, do not have the authority over the media to ask them not to publish their materials, considering that they are issued by the Media Department. We also cannot prevent them from publishing, but we have the right to confirm that their materials do not represent the Media Department, and that they do not work in the Media Department, because publishing the Federation’s media content is our responsibility as the Media Department, and we are the party entrusted with that, as an official and trusted body, and we prevent them from using the Media Center logo. However, when they accompany the national team in our presence as the Media Department, as happened in Tanzania and Congo, it is very natural that colleagues traveled at the Federation’s expense and stayed at the Federation’s hotel. They received a letter from the union that they must "analyze all of this" through private publication and publication in groups and personal pages. We, in the media department, are doing our duty by publishing it on the website and official platforms (fashion brought to me by the bringer). We are not responsible for the "confusion" and "chaos" that occurred in the coverage of the national team's last two qualifiers. Our channels are well-known to all colleagues, and our dealings with them have been ongoing. We are not in a position to direct any media organization to the destination of its choice as a source for its news and reports. However, we can confirm that the correct and professional approach is for the media to engage with the official entity affiliated with the Football Association, not with colleagues personally, based on the principle of "my friend and your friend."
If there are some individuals or entities within the association, the national team committee, or the national team administrations who deal with the two colleagues and provide them with news about the association and the national team before the media department, in order to embarrass us in front of the media and colleagues, then that is their business. They have their own motives, and it does not affect us, because we are fulfilling our duty and not competing with the media. Rather, we are official platforms committed to the institution, the platforms, and their users. We do not pursue exclusives and exclusives, and our content is trusted by the media and readers, and that is enough. In conclusion: We are not against any colleague traveling, and we do not mind any colleague traveling. We are very happy for colleagues to travel with the national teams. It is the right of the media to accompany the national teams, cover their big matches, and gain experience and expertise.
We also affirm that the Media Department is fully aware of its duties and does not allow any party to impose its views on it. Whenever we feel this, we will leave our job. Our professionalism does not permit this, and our personality abhors tyranny and guardianship. We, as employees, whenever we see the environment unsuitable for work, we leave without hesitation. We have already left for four years and would leave at any time. This is what needed to be clarified.
Atef Ahmed El-Sayed
Director of the Media Department
Sudanese Football Association
