MANCHESTER: FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura insists the fight against racism is being taken seriously despite the governing body's task force overseeing discrimination being abolished.

The Associated Press revealed Sunday that the task force was being dismantled after FIFA told its members the mission had been “completely fulfilled”.

Samoura says the group had a “very specific mandate” and its recommendations had now been turned into a “strong program” to tackle racism.

Responding to criticism of the decision, Samoura says, “We can live with perceptions, but we are taking very seriously our role as the world governing body of football to fight racism.”

Samoura was appointed in May as the organisation's first female and first African top administrator of world football's governing body as part of the overhaul under Gianni Infantino.