Governing Bodies
BLACKOUT & MILITARIZED WORLD CUP MATCH: SOUTH KOREA WANTS NORTH KOREA SANCTIONED
BY LIAM MORGAN
The Korea Football Association (KFA) has asked the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to consider sanctions against North Korea following the 0-0 draw between the two nations in a 2022 World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang earlier this week.
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the KFA has written to the AFC to ask the regional body to “review whether it should discipline North Korea’s Football Association for its lack of cooperation”.
The match at Kim Il Sung Stadium was held without any fans in
the stands, while all foreign media – including those from the South – and
supporters were barred from attending.
The historic game, the first competitive men’s match to be staged in the North Korean capital, was also not broadcast live.
South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min claimed it had tried to “sound the North out several times” to allow fans access to the stadium and for the qualifier to be broadcast on television.
“We asked North Korea on multiple occasions for help in allowing our media and supporters to travel to Pyongyang, but North Korea refused to cooperate,” the KFA said in its letter, according to Yonhap.
“We believe the AFC should review whether it should discipline North Korea’s football association for its lack of cooperation in these and other matters.”
In its letter to the AFC, the KFA referenced a rule in the continental body’s competition operations manual, which states: “Each host organisation shall ensure that visas and/or entry to the relevant territory are granted to the AFC delegation, all members of any team official delegation(s), the AFC commercial rights partner, official licensees, media, and travelling supporters, without any discrimination on the basis of, without limitation, gender, race, or nationality.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, one of the few attendees at the match, said he was “disappointed to see there were no fans in the stands”.
“We were surprised by this and by several issues related to its live broadcast and problems with visas and access for foreign journalists,” Infantino added.
“For us, freedom of the press and freedom of speech are obviously paramount, but on the other hand it would be naïve to think we can change the world from one minute to the next.
“We raised these questions with the local association and we will certainly keep pushing so that football can have a positive influence in DPR Korea and other countries around the world.”
The request from the KFA marks the latest tension between North Korea and South Korea, who are still technically still at war.
The tension has seen an almost entire shutdown of inter-Korean dialogue and Pyongyang has consistently criticised Seoul since the collapse of a summit between leader Kim Jong-un and United States President Donald Trump in February.
North and South Korea are still hoping to jointly bid for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, although their candidacy appears unlikely given the current situation.
The two countries formed a joint ice hockey team at last year’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and also marched together during the Opening Ceremony.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has claimed the Olympics could again help the peace process between the two Koreas.
The AFC said it would not comment as it was a FIFA match.
-insidethegames
Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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