International Football
Ahmad Ahmad: The Day After
A pair of blue jean trousers upon a grey top, he looked every inch an island boy waiting to see how the ocean tides will subside. Self effacing and exuding trademark simplicity at the lounge of Sheraton Hotel Addis Ababa Friday morning it was easy to miss the latest sheriff in the house of African football.
This was a day after the hurricane from the island of Madagascar virtually swept away the old order of leadership and ushered in a fresh feel of youth and perhaps adventure in the house of Africa’s most cherished game
“What has pleased me the most is the victory of democracy through football in Africa”, confessed Ahmad Ahmad, an accomplished politician and former cabinet minister in Madagascar.
All those who stormed the City of Flowers, Addis Ababa, for the 60th anniversary celebration and 39th General Assembly of the Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF) may have left for home with pieces of varied memories of a day that changed the outlook of the administration of the game in the continent.
But did they anticipate or envisage the magnitude of the storm that would rock the continental body with headquarters in Cairo Egypt?
Definitely the ever last lion from Cameroon and one time President of FIFA on acting capacity, Issa Hayatou, had no fear of the raging roar of change.
For 29 years he had held sway as CAF president like a charmed knight in a tournament, riding through little hurdles and providing a shield for a band of passionate adherents in the power corridor.
The days before the election provided opportunities to further pad his victory calculations and drag in to his fold those still undecided. He was in good company during the landmark launch of Ethiopia’s pacesetting St George’s FC Academy, named after his predecessor Yidnekatchew Tessema as well as the screening of a film capturing the best of African football in the last 60 years of CAF.
There was also the CAF forum which had many distinguished sports personalities including the FIFA president Gianni Infantino. But many delegates who perceived the event as a design to distract them from their electoral mission opted to stay away.
The subjects tackled were meant for the education and enlightenment of the delegates but they were not impressed. It was a signal of the gathering storm.
Not even the brilliant sunshine Thursday could open up the thoughts of those who had been at work in the last three months, crisscrossing the continent to extract commitments and pledges to confront a colossus in African football leadership.
From birthday party to meetings and personal visits across many cities within and outside the continent the Ahmed coalition had found a united front and fully charged by the padding from the FIFA boss who told all that he believed in Africa which represents a phenomenal future of the game if well managed.
Truly, so March 16 provided a fresh vista of the game’s management and direction. For sure the women also had a heavy dose of politicking and one of them, Isha Johansen of Sierra Leone, won a seat in the CAF executive committee by beating another tested hand Lydia Nsekera of Burundi.
The embrace from the two ladies after the result announcement inside the magnificent AU Plenary Hall captured the imagination of many who witnessed the march into a new dispensation.
Fair play and transparency reigned throughout the conduct of the election and any tinge of bitterness or disappointment will be kept in little corners of their hearts.
The outgoing president no doubt gave a solid fight and in the days ahead he says he will be ready to share his experiences and give support in the transition period.
Friday morning he looked radiant in his royal purple outfit and betrayed no sign of an embattled leader. He had moment to rub minds with his key lieutenants most of whom suffered defeats and now had to accept the reality of sports which has winners and losers.
More telling will be how the Ahmad leadership approaches his inclusive governance agenda and fashions his team to imbibe the change mantra with an eye on the reforms flowing from Zurich.
“I want to have a house of football that belongs to you”. Ahmad had pledged before the elections that gave him 34 votes as against Hayatou’s 20.
From his campaign style one can deduce the strength of a leader who is methodic and strategic in weaving a consensus that he adopts with a missionary zeal.
He appears to adjust to moments as they affect his objective. His combative speech before the election and his populist delivery showed a character ready to carry the task and burden of change.
Indeed he will have to match the great expectations of the soccer mad populace with the reality of a pragmatic revenue seeking programme that may not hurt the existing contractual deals on television rights, sponsorship and marketing for which a simmering fight for control may be too hot to handle or ignore.
The world is watching and it is clear that his victory was a relief to those who overtime continue to remind Africa that the future of the game belongs to you.
Just go out there and seize it. Easy words to say but it is hard not to take to heart the message of Hayatou who reminds all with emphasis that Africa must fashion its own destiny and vision. The tide of election is over. It is time for the Island boy Ahmad to make us glad with a World Cup chase for the continent.
FROM MITCHELL OBI, AIPS AFRICA PRESIDENT, Addis Ababa.
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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