Governing Bodies
U17 WORLD CUP IS A MEANS TO AN END; NOT AN END IN ITSELF
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
If precedence is anything to go bye, Manu Garba, the coach of the Nigeria U-17 World Cup, will be relieved of his position when the team returns to Nigeria.
He will thread the path that his predecessors – Sebastian Brodericks-Imasuen, Fanny Amun and Emmanuel Amuneke among others – have taken. A sack follows a loss of trophy.
In spite of wild expectations, the team crumbled at the Round of 16 early Wednesday morning and crashed out of the ongoing FIFA U17 World Cup in Brazil.
Criticism of the team has been trending on various social media platforms in Nigeria. The disappointment is quite understandable. The quest for a record-extending sixth win far out shadowed the ultimate aim of the competition, which is strictly a developmental program.
The concept of the original trophy unveiled in 1985 vividly gives reason behind the competition. In Olympic tradition, the original trophy was made of bronze, to illustrate the beginning of aspiration to rise and get to the silver zone, which the U20 trophy is made of, before winning the gold-plated FIFA World Cup trophy, the ultimate prize in global football.
The original bronze trophy of the competition is cast in the form of a shoot unfurling into full flower. It depicts the fact that the competition is not the ultimate. Nigerians have taken it to be an end, instead of the means to an end.
This probably explains why any squad that failed to win is vilified while the coach is axed. Despite the record win of five, the number of stars that blossomed into international reckoning is easily countable.
That depicts that Nigeria is really not benefiting much from the pyrrhic victories achieved. Apart from Nwankwo Kanu, Mikel Obi and very few others, how many other U17 players really made marks internationally.
This should be Nigeria’s major concern and not just to sack coaches for not winning the U17 tournament. One can recall a certain Jean-François Jodar, the winning coach of the France U17 team in 2001.
He became the coach of the Under-17 and Under 18 teams of France in 1988, shortly after the French team came back from Canada’87 where they crashed out in the second round of the competition.
Under Jodar, France did not qualify for the FIFA Under 16 tournament from 1988 till 2001 where they were victorious. For the 13 years he was in charge, the French federation did not sack him for not qualifying the country for the world tournament.
Unlike in Nigeria, they had a different yardstick to measure his productivity. Jean-François Jodar discovered virtually every member of the 1998 World Cup winning team. David Trezequet, Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry were all products of Jean-François Jodar. He took the responsibility of developing the youth of France.
It is this type of developmental football that is expected in Nigeria, not merely amassing U17 trophies. Now, Nigeria combs every part of the globe to scout for U-17 players!
It is an indication that talents are lacking at home. What has happened to the report of a panel set up 20 years ago after the U20 World Cup?
A panel headed by Amanze Uchegbulam was set up in 1999 shortly after Nigeria failed to get beyond the quarterfinals of the then World Youth Championship. The report was released on June 1, 1999. But like others before and after it, the report is gathering dust somewhere unimplemented.
The Amanze Uchegbulam Panel subjected the then NFA chairman, Abdulmumini Aminu to a two-hour grilling during one of its seatings. The conclusion of the panel:
“The ages declared by Nigerian players were questionable, if not downright false”.
The report concludes that the cheats were already having a negative impact on the national team, as players expected to graduate from youth sides burn out by the time they reach the senior national team.
To guard against this, Uchegbulam Panel recommended that Under-17 players should be recruited exclusively from the grassroots, secondary schools competitions and amateur clubsides.
After all, Uchegbulam panel, reasonably argued that after having put in a few years in the amateur league, “players can hardly be under 17 by the time they get to the professional league.”
For the Flying Eagles, the Under -20 side, Uchegbulam Panel advised that players should be recruited from the tertiary institutions, professional and amateur leagues, while not more than four foreign-based players, properly transferred by the NFA, should be invited at a time.
The logic behind the recommendation “is that by the time a player spends four years in the professional league, he should be aspiring to be in the senior team”. The report of the panel has remained unimplemented for 20 years now.
A former sports minister, Steven Ibn Akiga, tried to discourage the use of players who have featured in a higher category from dropping to the lower cadre even if their age still fall within the junior category.
It was for that reason that Femi Opabunmi who was a sensation at the World under 17 Championship and who in 2002 featured for the Super Eagles was not allowed to play for the Flying Eagles, even though the age may have allowed him to play.
The essence of the age-regulated competition is not an immediate gain of winning trophy, but a long-term benefit of nurturing an enduring senior team. In Nigeria, it has been taken to be an end, instead of means to an end.
The essence of youth sides is to raise sides that will endure. Henry Thierry, David Trezequet, Nicolas Anelka, Michael Owen were graduates of the World Youth Championship of 1997 (U20). Those players were not in the winning sides, yet their countries gained tremendously in nurturing them.
The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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Governing Bodies
Countdown Rule Introduced To Crack Down on Time-Wasting in Substitutions and Spot Kicks
Global football’s law-making body, The International Football Association Board (IFAB), has approved a landmark package of reforms aimed at protecting effective playing time, reducing time-wasting and strengthening disciplinary oversight ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The decisions were taken at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting (AGM), chaired by Mike Jones, President of the Football Association of Wales, during celebrations marking the FAW’s 150th anniversary.
The reforms, which will apply from the 2026/27 season and be implemented at the 2026 World Cup and other competitions, respond to growing calls across the football community for measures that preserve match tempo and reduce deliberate disruption.
Five-Second Countdown for Throw-Ins and Goal Kicks
Building on last season’s amendment preventing goalkeepers from holding the ball for excessive periods, IFAB has extended the countdown principle to throw-ins and goal kicks.
If a referee judges that a restart is being deliberately delayed, a visible five-second countdown will begin. Failure to put the ball back into play within that period will result in possession being awarded to the opposing team. In the case of a delayed goal kick, the sanction escalates to a corner kick for the opposition.
The measure is designed to eliminate a common time-management tactic frequently deployed late in matches.
Strict Timelines for Substitutions
To further streamline match flow, substituted players must leave the field within 10 seconds of the substitution board being displayed or the referee’s signal being given.
Players who exceed that limit must still exit immediately, but their replacement will not be allowed to enter until the next stoppage after one minute of running clock time has elapsed — effectively discouraging slow exits intended to run down the clock.
Mandatory One-Minute Absence After On-Field Treatment
Under another significant change, players who receive on-field medical assessment — or whose injury prompts a stoppage — must leave the pitch and remain off for at least one minute once play resumes.
The rule aims to curb tactical injury interruptions while still safeguarding genuine medical needs.
IFAB also approved further trials to assess goalkeeper-related tactical injury delays and explore deterrent options.
VAR Protocol Expanded to Include Second Yellow Cards
In a notable development for officiating, IFAB expanded the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol.
The VAR will now be permitted to review:
- Red cards resulting from a clearly incorrect second yellow card;
- Mistaken identity cases where the wrong player is cautioned or sent off;
- Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks, provided the review can be completed immediately without delaying the restart.
The move addresses longstanding criticism that second cautions — unlike straight red cards — were previously outside VAR review scope, despite their decisive impact on matches.
IFAB also confirmed continued trials of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and ongoing development of FIFA-led Football Video Support (FVS).
Amendments to the Laws of the Game 2026/27
The next edition of the Laws of the Game, effective 1 July 2026 (with early adoption permitted), will introduce further clarifications and adjustments:
- Law 3: Senior ‘A’ international friendlies may now allow up to eight substitutes, expandable to eleven by mutual agreement.
- Law 4: Non-dangerous equipment will be permitted if safely covered.
- Law 5: Referee body cameras (head- or chest-mounted) may be used at competition discretion, with organisers controlling footage.
- Law 8: Clarifies that a dropped ball will be awarded to the team that would likely have retained possession.
- Laws 10 & 14: Formal incorporation of guidance on accidental “double touch” penalty incidents.
- Law 12: Where advantage is played for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored, the offender will not be cautioned.
Focus on Discriminatory Behaviour and Player Protests
Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, IFAB agreed that further consultation will be undertaken to develop tougher measures against discriminatory conduct.
The board will also examine scenarios where:
- Players leave the field collectively in protest of refereeing decisions;
- Players cover their mouths while confronting opponents — a practice viewed as undermining transparency.
A Forward-Looking Agenda
The AGM, attended by representatives from FIFA, The FA, the Scottish FA, the FA of Wales, the Irish FA and IFAB administration, signals what officials described as a decisive effort to modernise the sport.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, IFAB’s reforms represent one of the most comprehensive tempo-focused overhauls in recent years — an attempt to ensure that football remains faster, fairer and more resistant to manipulation of time.
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Governing Bodies
Infantino marks 10 years as FIFA President, hails reforms and global expansion of the game
Gianni Infantino has marked the 10th anniversary of his election as FIFA President by declaring that “we have brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football,” while thanking the organisation’s 211 member associations for their support over the past decade.
In a letter sent to the presidents of all 211 member associations, Infantino reflected on his election at the Extraordinary Congress in Zurich, Switzerland, on 26 February 2016, recalling that FIFA was facing a crisis that threatened its very existence at the time.
“By voting for me, the FIFA Congress chose to chart a new path forward built on reform, transparency and development,” he wrote. “I believe we have successfully brought football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football. And we have done so together.”
Infantino stressed that unity between FIFA and its Member Associations had been central to the organisation’s transformation.
“It is therefore with a great sense of unity that I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your work, your dedication and, of course, your unwavering support in making this possible and for your role in bringing FIFA back to football over the last 10 years,” he said.
Describing FIFA as “the glue that binds the footballing pyramid and the wider footballing ecosystem together,” Infantino underlined the importance of a strong and trusted governing body for the continued growth of the sport.
“A strong, trusted and unified FIFA is not only desirable, but also in fact necessary for our sport to continue to flourish,” he added. “Although we live in a world marked by division and conflict, football is still the great power that unites us all.”
Key achievements highlighted
In his message, the FIFA President outlined 11 major achievements since 2016, beginning with increased financial support to Member Associations through the FIFA Forward Programme. Introduced in 2016, funding to MAs has increased sevenfold, with associations empowered to determine how best to invest in football development within their territories.
He also pointed to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, designed to ensure that every young player has the opportunity to develop regardless of financial background or geography, alongside enhanced capacity building in administration, finance, infrastructure, medical services, safeguarding and women’s leadership.
Infantino noted greater involvement of Member Associations in decision-making through FIFA Executive Summits and newly introduced Standing Committees, as well as reforms aimed at boosting transparency, including annual accounts delivered under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and clearer bidding processes for major tournaments.
On the field, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in 2018 — now implemented in 83 Member Associations — was cited as a key step towards greater fairness. FIFA has since introduced VAR Light and Football Video Support to widen access to video technology. In 2024, all 211 MAs also unanimously backed a Global Stand Against Racism initiative.
Infantino further highlighted expanded playing opportunities across competitions. The FIFA World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, while the FIFA Women’s World Cup grew to 32 teams in 2023 and is set to expand to 48 from 2031. More than 1,700 women’s development projects have been delivered across 204 Member Associations.
Youth competitions have also been broadened, including the expansion of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for both boys and girls and the introduction of a new festival-style FIFA U-15 Youth World Cup open to all 211 MAs.
The letter referenced relief measures during times of hardship, notably the COVID-19 Relief Plan, which made USD 1.5 billion available, emergency disaster funding via the FIFA Foundation, and a post-conflict recovery fund approved in December 2025 to support football communities affected by war.
At club level, Infantino highlighted the historic first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup planned for 2028, and the launch of annual intercontinental competitions and an expanded FIFA Club Benefits Programme.
Concluding his message, Infantino reiterated his gratitude to Member Associations for “keeping the best interests of football at heart,” expressing confidence that a united global football community would continue to drive the sport’s growth in the years ahead.
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