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.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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