Governing Bodies
CONDOLENCES POUR IN FOR LATE NFF BOARD MEMBER, CHIDI OFO OKENWA
Tributes, in torrents, have continued to flow in honour of the Member of NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of the Nigeria National League, Chidi Ofo Okenwa, who passed away on Tuesday, 5th May 2020.
Nigeria’s football family was crestfallen on Tuesday after news broke of the death of the cerebral football administrator who was also Chairman of the Enugu State Football Association.
His colleagues on the board of the NFF, members of the NFF Congress, league bodies, club administrators, ex-international players, other stakeholders and football fans have eulogized the departed Okenwa, all praising his contributions to the game over the decades.
Seyi Akinwunmi, senior vice president of the NFF, said: “I am still somewhat flustered and lack the words to express the grieve and the deep sorrow that we collectively feel as a board. Okenwa was an asset to the Nigeria game with his passion and intelligence. I am still in shock at his passing.”
Shehu Dikko, 2nd Vice President of the NFF/Chairman LMC, said: “Chidi’s death is a terrible blow to all of us. It is another sharp reminder that this world is a fallacy. We were all giving our views at a board meeting less than two weeks ago, and now he is gone. Devastating.”
Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, NFF General Secretary: “Hon. Chidi was a very close friend long before he joined the board of the NFF. I am stunned by his sudden passing. It came as a shock to me and the members of the NFF Board. He always had quality advice to offer at every point.”
Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, Member of the NFF Executive and Chairman of Enyimba FC, said: “I am yet to come to terms with the fact that Ofo is gone. He is someone so highly knowledgeable, with sound contributions in or out of the boardroom. I am greatly saddened. He is my brother because we are the two representing the south east on the NFF board.”
Aisha Falode, Member of the NFF Executive and Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League: “Chidi was always on ground to give valuable advice for the growth of women’s football in Nigeria. he had special interest in the women’s game and he fought so hard to see that the NWFL got its due. We have lost a gem.”
Ganiyu Majekodunmi, Member of the NFF Executive, said: “He was an administrative colossus.
“I am shattered but I take solace in the fact that he made his mark while here on earth. Chidi lived a good life. He was a good man in all spheres and always committed to whatever he was involved in.”
Chris Green, two-time Member of the NFF Executive Committee and Chairman of the Rivers State Football Association, said: “I am shattered. Chidi was very close to me and I still cannot believe that he is gone. He was a temperate personality, neither ostentatious nor acquisitive. He was highly cerebral and was a shining light in the Nigeria Football firmament.”
Former NFF 1st Vice President Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam: “I have lost my football son. Oh my God! Why Chidi at this time? He was very passionate and committed.”
Former NFF Board Member, Dr. Peter Singabele: “The death of Chidi Ofo is a rude shock not only to his immediate family and Enugu FA but to the entire Nigeria football family. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
Football Associations of Kwara, Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, Abia, Ondo States and the FCT, and Club administrators including Isaac Danladi, Chairman of Nasarawa United FC and NPFL Club Owners; Prince Oladimeji Thompson; Bukola Olopade; Bashir Badahwy and; all the clubs in the NNL as well as the Nigeria Nationwide League have all paid respect to the late Chidi Ofo Okenwa.
Governing Bodies
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct
FIFA’s ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct.
Mayolas, his wife and his son were sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a criminal court in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said their whereabouts were not known , and they were tried in absentia.
FECOFOOT general secretary Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. Badji and Kanda were sentenced to five years each in prison by the court in Brazzaville for related charges.
“These proceedings follow the receipt of information and documents during an audit,” FIFA said in a statement.
-Reuters
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The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.
The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.
The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.
“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”
In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”
Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”
-AP
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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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