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CAF Election: The Hour Draws Near

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By KUNLE SOLAJA.

The 39th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly reaches its crescendo and close on Thursday with election to the position of president and the executive committee as well as those to sit on the FIFA Council.
The election, which begins with the presidential, will hold at 9am in Ethiopia (7am in Nigeria, GMT +1).
This general assembly may be the most politically divisive and explosive as files and ranks have been broken onto two major political blocs. Those for the current president and those pressing for change.
The high point is the election of the CAF president as Issa Hayatou is for the first time in 29 years having a serious challenger. Contesting the position with him is Ahmad (just a single name) of Madagascar.
In all, there are no fewer than 27 candidates contesting for positions. Nigeria is making another attempt to be on the executive committee after the last two failed attempts to get Ibrahim Galadima and Aminu Maigari on board.
The current Nigeria’s candidate, Amaju Pinnick, sits on crest of wave. His success hangs on the outcome of the presidential election as those on Hayatou’s camp are strongly opposed to him.
Those not in Hayatou’s camp are his allies. They include the 14 southern African coalition of COSAFA, the five English speaking countries of West Africa, the Anglophone East Africa – Uganda and Tanzania and Egypt in North Africa. Those are the clear backers of the combined team of Amaju Pinnick and Ahmad of Madagascar.
The battle ground composes of the largely Francophone countries. Their stand remains unclear even as Hayatou comes from that bloc.
The ‘town crier’ at the Sports Village Square gathered that the plot to oust Hayatou was hatched at the last FIFA Congress in Mexico by the Anglophone countries with pockets of supports from their Francophone counterparts.
There was a speculation that Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal was picked as the first African and woman general secretary of FIFA to break the ranks of Francophone bloc. She is believed to be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring in a new political order in CAF.
In the election, some of the contestants are defending their seats. Hayatou is one of such. He is facing Ahmad of Madagascar. Ahmad will relinquish his Southern zone seat but the other member Suketu Patel (Seychelles) will be up for re-election alongside Danny Jordaan (South Africa), Frans Mbidi (Namibia) and Rui Eduardo Da Costa (Angola).
Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick, is contesting the West Zone B with the incumbent Moucharafou of Benin. In West Africa zone A, Liberia’s Hassan Musa Bility will be up against Amadou Diakité (Mali).
The only candidate who has won the election before the election is Chad’s Adoum Djibrine who is returning unopposed.
In the Central-East Zone executive committee seat, contesting are: Moses Magogo (Uganda), Suleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti), Suleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti) and Sudan’s Magdi Shams El Din who is the incumbent.
In North Africa zone, Anwar El Tashani (Libya) and Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco) will be up against incumbent Mohamed Raouraoua (Algeria). Also to be contested are Africa’s seats on the FIFA Council. There is a slot for the Arabic/Portuguese/Spanish bloc, another for the English bloc while the third is for the Francophone bloc.There is a fourth seat which is open and another one for the woman category.
Hani Abo Rida (Egypt) and Tarek Bouchamoui (Tunisia) are going for the one seat in the Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish bloc while Augustin Sidy Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire) and Omari Constant Selemani (RD Congo) will be up for the one seat in the Francophone category.
Former Zambia boss Kalusha Bwalya, Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana) and Leodegar Tenga (Tanzania) are all eyeing the one seat in English bloc. There are four candidates; Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea), Chabur Goc (South Sudan), Danny Jordaan (South Africa) and Lydia Nsekera (Burundi) are eying the three seats in the open category.
To balance gender, Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone) and Lydia Nsekera (Burundi) will be up for the lone female seat.
There will also be election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Conformity Committee and that of the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Jurisdictional Bodies of CAF.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Guinea names Portugal’s Duarte as new national coach

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African Cup of Nations - Semi Finals - Burkina Faso v Egypt- Stade de l'Amitie - Libreville, Gabon - 1/2/17 Burkina Faso coach Paulo Jorge Duarte Reuters / Amr Abdallah Dalsh Livepic/File Photo

Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.

Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.

Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.

Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.

They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.

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-Reuters

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Veteran coach Van Gaal says he is cured of cancer

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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.

The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”

When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.

Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.

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He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.

-Reuters

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Like father like son, Davide Ancelotti becomes Brazil’s Botafogo manager

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Davide Ancelotti, son of Brazil's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, has been appointed coach of Botafogo, the Rio de Janeiro club announced on Tuesday.

In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.

The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.

This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.

The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.

Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.

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As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

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