Governing Bodies
NFF RUBBISHES STORY ON FIFA COVID19 PALLIATIVE
The Nigeria Football Federation in a press release has described as total falsehood, a report in an online publication that it has received the $1.5million promised by world football –governing body, FIFA to all its member associations, as palliative for the coronavirus pandemic which has ravaged the world this year.
The NFF statement reads:
“The FIFA Council approved the sum of $1.5million for each of its Member Associations as palliative for the coronavirus pandemic (COVID19) around the month of July 2020.
“Yet, the writer said the money was paid in May 2020! The report is outright falsehood and yet another pathetic display of ignorance on the part of the writer. The NFF has only received the $500,000 meant for the women’s game, and this fact is very easy to cross-check. A simple mail to FIFA would have cleared this issue.
“FIFA COVID19 palliative is totally different from Operational Cost (annual grant) money and is also not the same thing as FIFA Forward money.
“However, in the haste to, once more, go to town with something negative, the writer failed to establish the critical difference between FIFA annual grant and FIFA COVID19 palliative. It is a case of criminal defamation that the NFF will not take lightly,” NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi said on Monday.
“Sanusi added that the NFF has over the years sustained the habit of sending details of all monies received (even sponsorship funds) to the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, and that further checks can be made at that establishment.
“FIFA promised to send an initial tranche of $1million ($500,000 for the men’s game and $500,000 for the women’s game) and another payment of $500,0000 in January 2021.
“Of the first tranche, we have only received the $500,000 for the women’s game, while waiting for the other $500,000.
“I want to add that we are also yet to receive the $500,000 palliative promised by the continental governing body, CAF. We are waiting for these monies so that we can distribute as we have set out in the template approved by the NFF Executive Committee.
“We will also inform the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development once the monies come.
“While the NFF will continue to appreciate the noble work of credible journalists who ask questions for the sake of probity and transparency and for the good of the game, we condemn, in the strongest terms, the deleterious and despicable activities of confabulators and mudslingers.”
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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