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ANOCA ELECTION OFFERS AFRICA CHANCE FOR ‘A FRESH START’
BY AIPS AFRICA TEAM.
A fresh start! That is what the four contenders for presidency of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa are promising the 54-member nations.
After all it’s been 13 years of no change with Lt. Lassana Palenfo at the helm.
The Ivorian, the longest serving ANOCA president, opted not to seek re-election after turbulent recent times for the Abuja based association.
The 77-year-old barely served a year into his fourth term, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that ANOCA must hold fresh elections.
This was after the ANOCA executive committee, controversially blocked Cameroon’s Hamad Kalkaba Malboum his only challenger at the elections in May 2017 in Djibouti, from contesting the elections over alleged bribery and inappropriate campaign.
But CAS upheld the appeal by Kalkaba and directed that fresh polls must be held.
The four players
Kalkaba is one of the four vying to replace Palenfo at the elections in Tokyo, being held on the sidelines of a tensed ANOC general assembly in Tokyo.
Hamad Kalkaba Malboum of Cameroon
The others are Algeria’s Mustapha Berraf, Botswana’s Negroes Malealea Kgosietsile and Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera.
Respect, rebuild, united, vibrant are some of the words that have pepper the campaigns of the quartet.
But the first task for the new president will be to oversee and revamp the All Africa Games that will be held in Morocco, a step-in host.
Zambia had been earmarked as organisers of the 2019 event but claimed they were not ready due to lack of facilities.
Here is a look at the four players in their countries ascending order:
Algeria’s Mustapha Berraf
He wants a more efficient and respected ANOCA. He has been the ‘acting president’ since last November in Prague, when Palenfo was relieved of his operational duties.
Mustapha Berraf
The Algerian was elected vice president of ANOCA in 2005 in Accra. It is this experience that the Berraf, who is also serving his fourth term as president of the Algerian Olympic Committee, hopes he can bank on to succeed his former boss.
If he is elected he will be the first North African to lead ANOCA.
All the five previous presidents have been from central, east and west Africa.
He led and hosted the Africa Youth Games in Algiers this year, a platform he used to endear himself to the members.
His biggest selling point has been marketing the association, its activities and providing resources for its members.
“We intend to perpetuate the initiatives we have undertaken by providing our organization with the necessary financial and material resources for the African Youth Games in Lesotho, Beach Games in
Cape Verde and the African Games in Morocco,” underlined the 63-year-old basketball star who has had a fair share of controversy back home.
His stint as NOC president was tainted by a corruption scandal as a director of a publicly managed shopping centre in the 90s.
He hopes to use his management experience to transform ANOCA.
“We will also focus on professionalizing the management of ANOCA’s products and assets, as well as the introduction of new marketable products and programs.”
Botswana’s Negroes Malealea Kgosietsile
Negroes the ‘competent, selfless and tested’ leader ANOCA needs The Botswana was the last one to formally declare his intention to contest.
The former NOC president considers himself as the change candidate ANOCA needs after a rather dull five years. In his 16-year terms as the NOC president he oversaw the 2014
Africa Youth Games, an event that boosted the Southern African country’s profile.
This influenced his country’s decision to bid for the 2022 Youth
Olympic Games that were last month awarded to Senegal.
Negroes ventured into sport after a career in finance, skills he is banking on to professionalize the operations of ANOCA.
“It is of critical importance for the ANOCA Electorate to assign a competent, selfless and tested leader to catapult the organization to its rightful place,” said Negroes who serves on the ANOCA Executive committee.
Despite not having any continental know-how feels there is need to fix the association’s operations and review the constitution.
“The conduct of our meetings has in the past tended to deprive the
General Assembly of its powers to debate matters and make informed decisions.
“ANOCA Solidarity funds are still managed by Olympic Solidarity, an indication that ANOCA is not in a position to manage its share of
Solidarity funds,” added the head of the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committee.
Burundi’s Lydia Nsekera
Governance and inclusion are at the heart of Nsekera’s campaign. The ascendance of the former basket baller and high jumper will make her the woman to head an Olympic continental section.
Lydia Nsekera
The 51-year-old is no stranger to firsts. She was the first woman to hold a seat on FIFA’s Executive Committee, and the first woman to head the Burundian football association and the NOC.
Nsekera who began her professional career as an auditor is one of the 13 African IOC members, a position she hopes to leverage on and make history.
The renowned female sports administrator has put youth and women’s issues on the front burner of her campaign.
“Africa is undeniably the continent with the largest number of young people. It is our responsibility as sports leaders to support our girls and boys and help them grow up healthy,” said the Burundian, who
hopes to take back the presidency to the zone five.
The late Francis Nyangweso from neighbouring Ugandan headed the association between 1999-2001.
Nsekera, who also chairs the IOC women and sport commission has Tokyo 2020 Olympics high on her agenda.
“Top priority will be given to the preparation and planning of Africa’s participation (at Tokyo 2020) by creating small committees whose task will be to propose the most effective way to facilitate the smooth preparation and participation.”
Kalkaba, tried and tested
The IAAF vice president, who also heads the Confederation of African Athletics, was the trigger of change.
Kalkaba challenged Palenfo again, in what was expected to be a close election but missed on what would have been his second appearance on the ANOCA presidential ballot.
The former Cameroonian track and field athlete was lurking in Palenfo’s shadow at the 2005 elections.
Palenfo replaced Guinea’s Alpha Ibrahim Diallo as ANOCA president after polling 24 of the 51 votes against Alhaji Dandeh-Njie of Gambia, who garnered 16 votes but decided not to contest the run off.
During that election in Ghana, Kalkaba was one of the three contenders who withdrew from the race. The others were Zoumaro
Gnofame from Togo and Guinea’s Diallo.
The veteran sports administrator who is the president of the NOC has in the past headed handball and athletics federations, all-round proficiencies that he feels proves he is capable transforming ANOCA.
“I hope to urge the African Union and African countries to enact laws that will guarantee the status of high-level athletes and their future reconversion through an appropriate social reintegration,” outlined the former musician, who hopes the NOCs can dance to his tune as he looks to write the last chapter of his sports career.
Rebuilding trust and attracting partners are among the key pillars of his campaign, goals that remain slippery for CAA.
“Increase the financial resources of the Development Zones, to better coordinate the activities of the NOCs.”
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK
Africa emerged as the most successful confederation in the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with an unprecedented 90 percent of its representatives advancing to the Round of 32.
Nine of the 10 African teams that started the tournament secured places in the knockout phase, giving the Confederation of African Football (CAF) the highest qualification rate among all six continental confederations.
The African nations progressing to the Round of 32 are South Africa, Morocco, Côte d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, Egypt, Ghana, DR Congo and Algeria.
Only one African team failed to survive the group stage, underscoring the continent’s growing competitiveness on football’s biggest stage.
CAF’s 90 per cent success rate placed it ahead of South America’s CONMEBOL, which saw 83.33 per cent of its teams advance, and Europe’s UEFA, whose members recorded an 81.25 per cent qualification rate.
The figures represent a significant shift in the global football landscape, where European and South American nations have traditionally dominated World Cup competitions.
The expanded 48-team format appears to have provided African countries with greater opportunities to showcase their progress, and they responded with a series of impressive performances throughout the group stage.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time, while South Africa, DR Congo and Algeria also celebrated historic advances.
Senegal made history by becoming the first African nation to score five goals in a World Cup match, while Morocco continued the momentum generated by their remarkable semi-final run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In contrast, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) endured a difficult campaign, with only 22.22 per cent of its teams progressing. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) recorded a 50 per cent qualification rate despite having the advantage of three host nations.
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) failed to place any team in the Round of 32.
World Cup Round of 32 Qualification Rates by Confederation
- CAF (Africa): 90%
- CONMEBOL (South America): 83.33%
- UEFA (Europe): 81.25%
- CONCACAF (North and Central America/Caribbean): 50%
- AFC (Asia): 22.22%
- OFC (Oceania): 0%
The statistics show Africa’s growing influence in world football and raise hopes that the continent could produce its strongest collective performance ever in the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.
With nine teams still in contention, Africa enters the Round of 32 with more representatives than any other confederation and a genuine opportunity to challenge for the latter stages of the tournament.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
Ecuador will look to continue their strong record against Concacaf opposition when they face Curaçao in a Group E encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The South Americans enter the match having won their last two World Cup meetings with teams from the Concacaf region and will be eager to maintain that trend as they chase a place in the knockout rounds.
For Curaçao, however, the fixture represents an opportunity to create history.
The Caribbean nation is one of the tournament’s debutants and is still searching for its first World Cup victory. After suffering a heavy defeat to Germany in their opening match, Curaçao will be desperate to demonstrate the resilience and determination that earned them a place at the expanded 48-team tournament.
A victory would make them the first of the World Cup 2026 newcomers to register a win and would provide a significant boost to their qualification hopes.
Ecuador are expected to rely on their experience at this level, but they know underestimating Curaçao could prove costly. The underdogs have already shown flashes of attacking quality despite their difficult introduction against Germany.
As the group stage begins to take shape, both teams understand the importance of securing points. Ecuador are chasing progression, while Curaçao are chasing history.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, NEW YORK.
As Morocco edge closer to the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026, captain Achraf Hakimi finds himself at the centre of two parallel narratives; one being football excellence and the other by legal proceedings that continue to cast a shadow over his career.
On the pitch, the 27-year-old has never appeared more influential.
Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Scotland not only moved the Atlas Lions within touching distance of the Round of 32, it also elevated Hakimi into the record books as the African player with the most FIFA World Cup appearances.
The Paris Saint-Germain defender made his 12th World Cup appearance, surpassing the previous mark jointly held by Cameroonian legend François Omam-Biyik and Ghana’s all-time leading scorer Asamoah Gyan.
It is a remarkable achievement for a player who made his World Cup debut as a teenager in Russia in 2018 and has since become one of the most recognisable faces of African football.
For Hakimi, the record is another milestone in a career already decorated with major club honours and individual accolades, including the African Footballer of the Year award. It also reinforces his status as one of the driving forces behind Morocco’s rise as a global football power.
His influence was most vividly illustrated at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Morocco became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament. Hakimi’s composure, leadership and attacking flair helped transform the Atlas Lions into one of the competition’s most compelling stories.
Four years later, he remains the heartbeat of a Moroccan side determined to prove that their success in Qatar was no one-off achievement.
The signs have been encouraging. Morocco opened their campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against five-time champions Brazil before defeating Scotland to move within a point of qualification. A draw against Haiti in their final group match would be enough to secure passage to the knockout rounds.
Yet while Hakimi’s football achievements continue to accumulate, events away from the game have ensured that public attention remains divided.
The defender is facing the prospect of a criminal trial in France following allegations of rape first reported in 2023. Hakimi has consistently denied wrongdoing and has sought to challenge the legal process through the courts.
French media reported this week that an appeals court rejected a challenge to his referral to criminal court, clearing the way for a future trial.
Responding publicly, Hakimi reiterated his innocence and welcomed the opportunity to present his version of events.
“Today, a story that isn’t mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“I’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m looking forward to it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak out.”
The legal proceedings remain ongoing, and no trial date has been announced.
For now, Morocco’s captain appears determined to keep his focus on football.
That ability to compartmentalise challenges has become a defining characteristic of elite athletes, particularly those operating under intense global scrutiny. With millions watching every move, Hakimi has continued to perform at the highest level for both club and country.
His record-breaking appearance against Scotland demonstrated once again why he remains indispensable to Morocco’s ambitions. Whether surging down the flank, organising teammates or inspiring supporters, Hakimi has become the symbol of a generation that has redefined expectations for African football.
As the World Cup enters its decisive phase, Morocco’s hopes of another deep run rest heavily on the shoulders of their captain.
The legal questions surrounding Hakimi will ultimately be settled in court. On the field, however, his contribution to Moroccan football is already firmly established.
And as the Atlas Lions pursue another place in World Cup history, their captain continues to add chapters to a legacy that has made him one of Africa’s most accomplished footballers.
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