Fatma Samoura’s appointment as Fifa’s first female secretary general  is significant in several ways .

Of the 209 football association presidents around the world, just two are women – while it was only four years ago that football’s world governing body appointed its first female executive.

This gives an indication of the enormity of this decision.

She is also an African – a continent that has never had an elected Fifa president.

Ms Samoura can now claim to have the most important job in world football because Fifa’s new reforms, which were implemented earlier this year, means that the president, Gianni Infantino, has less powers.

In football parlance, this is a major upset.