Governing Bodies
VAR FAILURE HEADLINES PREMIER LEAGUE RESUMPTION
Bosses from goal line technology providers, HawkEye have issued a grovelling apology to Sheffield United, Aston Villa and the Premier League after the Blades were denied what appeared to be an obvious goal on the opening night of the resumption of the top flight.
Responding to the controversy in a post-match statement, HawkEye claimed that the players and goalpost had obscured the sightlines of seven cameras and insisted that the failure had never happened in more than 9,000 previous games.
‘During the first half of Aston Villa v Sheffield United match at Villa Park, there was a goal line incident where the ball was carried over the line by Aston Villa goalkeeper, No. 25 Nyland,’ they said.
‘The match officials did not receive a signal to the watch nor earpiece as per the Goal Decision System (GDS) protocol. The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender, and goalpost.
‘This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the Hawk-Eye Goal Line Technology system has been in operation.
‘The system was tested and proved functional prior to the start of the match in accordance with the IFAB Laws of The Game and confirmed as working by the match officials.
‘The system has remained functional throughout. Hawk-Eye unreservedly apologises to the Premier League, Sheffield United, and everyone affected by this incident.’
Villa goalkeeper Orjan Nyland flapped at a dangerous inswinging left-wing cross before seeming to carry the ball over the line when team-mate Keinan Davis bumped into him.
Fans and pundits were baffled as replays seemed to demonstrate that the ball had comfortably crossed the line and commentators questioned why a VAR check had not been carried out.
Speaking as the Premier League returned after a suspension of more than three months due to the coronavirus pandemic, former England and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports: ‘Incredibly lucky – we normally talk about goalline technology as being perfect. You trust it, but it certainly wasn’t perfect here.
‘It went missing and Villa have got away with it.
‘It is a really spiteful ball in by Oli Norwood and very difficult to deal with. Nyland never looks comfortable for one second when it is coming in and he loses it for a second and then manages to get hold of it and then is pushed into his own goal.’
Ex-Villa midfielder Ian Taylor chuckled ruefully as his fellow pundit told him that his former side had ‘got away with one there, mate.’
‘It is never a goal, Jamie,’ laughed Taylor. ‘We have got away with one there.’
Redknapp added: ‘I cannot understand why they have not gone to VAR. I was over that side and it was the same passage of play.’
United’s official Twitter account attempted to see the funny side of an apparent error that has the potential to cost them dearly in their pursuit of qualifying for Europe in their first season in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship, cheerfully observing: ‘It wasn’t working.’
Visiting manager Chris Wilder was seen remonstrating with referee Michael Oliver in the tunnel at half-time as the United boss attempted to ascertain whether speculation that the technology, which tells the referee when the ball has crossed the line via his watch, had failed.
The Premier League has confirmed that Oliver’s watch did buzz at half-time after testing it rather than a delayed reaction to the first-half effort.
Sportsmail understands discussions are ongoing to find out what happened with regards to the goal.
-Daily Mail
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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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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