Canadian soccer took centre stage in a FIFA experiment on Saturday as the country’s top-flight league began testing a “daylight” offside rule aimed at speeding up play and encouraging attacking football.

The rule ​was introduced at the opening match of the Canadian Premier League season as part of efforts ‌by global soccer authorities to cut delays caused by video reviews, reduce controversy over marginal offside decisions and shift the balance of the game in favour of attackers.

“I see this as an opportunity to grow as a coach. It’s going to ​give me more tools for the future,” Atletico Ottawa head coach Diego Mejia told reporters.

Under ​the rule, an attacker is deemed onside if any part of the body that ⁠can legally score is level with, or further away from, the goal line than the second-to-last defender. ​An offside offence is only given if there is visible space — the so‑called “daylight” — between the attacker and the ​defender.

The concept has been championed for years by former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s chief of global football development, as a way to ease frustration over marginal decisions and limit delays that have fueled debate long after matches have finished.

Wenger ​called the Canadian experience “an important pilot.”

Players from reigning champions Atletico Ottawa and Forge FC were involved in the ​first application of the new rule on Saturday, including a video review triggered after a penalty award was challenged by ‌the ⁠defending side.

Under the revised Canadian system, head coaches are allowed two challenges per match for game‑changing decisions, with the referee reviewing each appeal using video assistance.

The initial review took more than five minutes but was not centred on an offside decision, as officials assessed two possible offsides, a potential foul in the buildup and ​a collision between the goalkeeper ​and the striker that ⁠led to the penalty.

The challenge was unsuccessful.

A later offside decision using the daylight rule did not interrupt the flow of the match.

Video assistance itself is also ​new to the Canadian league and was used for the first time on ​Saturday. Some commentators ⁠said officials would need time to adapt to both the revised offside interpretation and the new technology. The system in use is not full VAR, but FIFA’s lighter Football Video Support (FVS) model.

The Canadian league’s willingness to adopt ⁠the rule ​has given FIFA a professional testing ground, something European leagues ​have so far resisted.

Critics argue the change could push defenders, particularly centre-backs, to adopt more cautious positioning.

Others say it could open space ​in midfield, with defenders likely to hold deeper lines.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

The recent appointment of Samson Adamu as Acting General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football has sparked fresh conversations about legacy, influence, and the quiet emergence of dynasties in global sports administration.

For the first time in its 69-year history, CAF’s administrative nerve centre is being led, albeit in acting capacity, by a Nigerian and indeed a West African, marking a significant geopolitical shift in African football governance.

Yet beyond the symbolism of regional representation lies a deeper narrative: the possible birth of another administrative dynasty, echoing the long-standing dominance of Egypt’s Fahmy family.

From Father to Son: The Adamu Trajectory

Samson Adamu’s rise within CAF is not an isolated story of personal ambition; it is rooted in a powerful lineage. His father, Amos Adamu, was one of the most influential figures in Nigerian and African sports administration for over two decades.

Between 1992 and 2013, Dr Amos Adamu occupied multiple high-profile roles, ranging from Director General of the National Sports Commission to Executive Committee member of both CAF and FIFA.

He also played a pivotal role in landmark events such as the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2003 African Games. Notably, his era coincided with Nigeria’s historic qualification for its first FIFA World Cup in 1994.

Samson’s career path appears to mirror and modernise that legacy. Widely credited as the pioneer of modern beach soccer in West Africa, he transformed what was once a recreational pastime into a commercially viable sport.

Through his company, Kinetic Sports, he founded Copa Lagos in 2011—sub-Saharan Africa’s first international beach soccer tournament.

The event blended elite sport with entertainment, attracting global teams such as Brazil, England, and Spain, while earning recognition from FIFA and Beach Soccer Worldwide.

His growing influence became even more evident in 2016 when Nigeria successfully hosted the CAF Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations, a qualifying tournament for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. That milestone further cemented his reputation within continental football administration, paving the way for his steady rise within the Confederation of African Football—from Director of Beach Soccer Competitions to Director of Tournaments and Events, culminating in his latest elevation.

Former CAF executive member Amos Adamu expressed pride in his son’s achievements, noting in an interview with Sports Village Square that excellence in sports runs deep in the family. He added that Samson’s brother, Ezekiel, has also carved a niche in the industry as a professional boxing promoter.

The Fahmy Blueprint

To understand the significance of the Adamu ascent, one must revisit the most enduring administrative dynasty in African football—the Fahmy family of Egypt.

The lineage began with Mourad Fahmy, who served as CAF General Secretary from 1961 to 1982. He was succeeded by his son, Mustapha Fahmy, who held the position for nearly three decades until 2010 before moving to FIFA.

The dynasty extended into a third generation when Amr Fahmy took over the role in 2017, effectively maintaining the family’s grip on CAF’s administrative machinery for over half a century. It was a case of from grandfather to son, then to grandson.

The Fahmy Dynasty at CAF: Three generations of leadership—Mourad Fahmy (1961–1982), his son Mustapha Fahmy (1982–2010), and grandson Amr Fahmy (2017–2019)—who shaped the administrative backbone of African football across nearly six decades.

This continuity was not merely symbolic; it shaped policies, competitions, and governance structures across African football for decades.

Dynasties Beyond Africa

The Fahmy model is not unique. Across global sports, familial networks have often influenced governance and administration.

One notable example is the Brazilian axis involving João Havelange and his son-in-law Ricardo Teixeira. While not a direct bloodline succession, their combined leadership of FIFA and the Brazilian Football Confederation created a powerful transnational influence over the game.

Such dynasties, whether rooted in lineage or strategic alliances, highlight a recurring theme in sports governance: continuity often breeds influence, and influence can evolve into legacy.

A New Chapter for Africa?

Samson Adamu’s appointment does not yet constitute a dynasty in the classical sense. However, it represents the early contours of one that converges legacy, expertise, and institutional familiarity.

Unlike previous eras, his rise is also shaped by modern sports marketing, commercialisation, and global connectivity. His work in beach soccer demonstrated an ability to innovate within the system, not merely inherit it.

RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2017/11/17/grandfather-son-grand-son-fahmy-family-sets-dynasty-caf/

For African football, this could signal a transition, from traditional bureaucratic continuity to a hybrid model where legacy meets innovation.

Whether the Adamu name will come to define another era in CAF’s administrative history remains to be seen. But for now, the parallels with the Fahmy dynasty are unmistakable, and the story of succession in African football has entered a compelling new phase.

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Players and match officials in Canada’s national soccer league are rewiring their brains and bodies as a critical test of provisional FIFA offside rules takes place on Saturday.

The ​provisional rule, known as an “alternative offside law” by world football authorities, will be tested ‌in the Canadian Premier League’s season opener on Saturday in Hamilton, Ontario, between hosts Forge FC and reigning champions Atletico Ottawa.

“Just having that idea that most of those times you’re not going to be offside now, I think ​it just adds a bit more confidence in players making the runs, whether it’s ​wingers, strikers or attacking midfielders,” Forge FC forward Tristan Borges told reporters on ⁠Friday.

“Defenders are going to be a little bit more wary of it and watch it a ​little bit more, which ultimately will add more excitement to the game.”

FIFA says the rule has evolved ​from ideas designed “to enhance match tempo and reduce time-wasting,” as well as to promote a more attacking style of play.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, called the Canadian test “an important pilot”.

“By testing this new ​interpretation in a professional competition, we can better understand its impact,” he added.

Few developments in world ​soccer have provoked more controversy in recent years than protracted video‑assisted offside decisions that disallow goals and interrupt ‌play over ⁠marginal infringements.

Matches were often halted for several minutes as VAR reviewed offside decisions, dulling goal celebrations for players and fans and disrupting the game’s flow.

The proposed FIFA rule is designed to make calls clearer and faster, reducing controversy and delays. Critics in Europe have resisted the rule for a ​number of reasons, with some ​believing it will ⁠cause defenders to play too defensively and bog down the game.

The trial in Canada is taking place with a young league, launched in 2019 and ​quickly hit with pandemic shutdowns. It now has eight teams in a ​country where the ⁠popularity of soccer is soaring, but the professional infrastructure remains underdeveloped.

Interest in football has grown in a country traditionally associated with ice hockey, driven by the popularity of the English and Spanish leagues and ⁠the prospect ​of hosting the World Cup alongside the United States ​and Mexico.

Although small by global standards, the CPL drew worldwide online attention when its 2025 final was played during a blizzard, ​producing a spectacular bicycle kick that became known as the “icicle kick.”

-Reuters

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