Governing Bodies
CAF ELECTION: AFRICAN FOOTBALL IS AT A CROSSROADS
The Confederation of African Football is gearing up for what promises to be a key election. The current president has been banned from all football-related activities, but he may be still allowed to run for re-election.
It was almost a month ago that the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad, took to social media to congratulate Morocco for its victory over Mali at the final of the African Nations Championship.
The man from Madagascar will be hoping that on March 12, he will be on the receiving end of congratulations not just from Morocco, but from national federations all over the continent on winning a second term as CAF president. As things stand, though, the chances of that happening look slim.
FIFA mission ‘successfully completed’
Whoever does become the president of CAF will have a relatively free hand to plot a new course for the federation — which hasn’t always been the case.
For six months of Ahmad’s first term, FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura and her team were tasked with overseeing CAF in a mission aimed at improving the governance of the confederation. In February 2020, FIFA declared that Samoura’s mission had been “successfully completed.”
While the successful candidate can expect to have more freedom to implement whatever changes he sees fit (all the declared candidates are men), he will still be taking charge of the confederation at a difficult time in its history. FIFA’s involvement was widely seen as an era of dual leadership at CAF.
“The CAF has been seriously weakened as an institution,” Mansour Loum, a Senagalese sports journalist told DW. “The electoral assembly (on March 12) is an opportunity to usher in a new era.”
Will he or won’t he?
However, the big question on the minds of everyone connected with African football these days is: Will Ahmad Ahmad, who in 2017 became CAF’s first new president in three decades, even be allowed to stand for re-election? The answer is at least partially in the hands of the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
The Malagasy’s bid for re-election initially appeared to have been scuppered by a ban from all domestic and international football-related activities handed down by FIFA last November.
However, just two days later he appealed the decision and at the end of January, the CAS agreed to expedite Ahmad’s appeal process — with his first hearing on Tuesday.
FIFA had imposed the ban over a series of offenses relating to a luxury trip he took to Mecca with other officials, as well as the awarding of a contract to a sports equipment company owned by a friend. He has also repeatedly been accused used of sexually harassing women.
In its statement, FIFA said that Ahmad had “breached his duty of loyalty, offered gifts and other benefits, mismanaged funds and abused his position as the CAF President, pursuant to the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
However, Ahmad is free to campaign for re-election pending the CAS ruling on his appeal.
A fresh start?
Last month, the CAF’s Executive Committee essentially passed the buck on the issue, agreeing that FIFA would have the final say on whether Ahmad would be free to run or not. The CAF Governance Committee has expressed no objections to his running for a second term. However, many observers believe FIFA will do everything possible to prevent Ahmad from running again, no matter which way the CAS decides.
Three candidates from West Africa
While Ahmad’s candidature remains up in the air, four other presidential candidates have thrown their hats into the ring. Among them is 59-year-old Patrice Motsepe, a billionaire who happens to be the brother-in-law of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
His African Rainbow Minerals group operates coal, iron, nickel, copper, gold and platinum mines. Motsepe is the president of South African first-division club Mamelodi Sundowns of Pretoria. However, the South African FA is not thought to be supportive of his candidacy for the CAF’s top job.
Anouma the frontrunner?
It’s a different story for Jacques Anouma. The 70-year-old president of the Ivorian Football Federation is quite popular, partly because of his efforts to professionalize the game in the Ivory Coast, or Cote d’Ivoire, since taking the post in 2002. From 2007 to 2015 he was also a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee.
“Anouma’s support in Cote d’Ivoire is all-encompassing,” Ivorian journalist Augustin Kouyo told DW. The Ivorian government has even sent staff to other African countries to promote Anouma’s candidacy.
The other two candidates, Ahmed Yahya and Augustin Senghor, also head their countries’ soccer associations; Yahya in Mauritania, Senghor in Senegal. They, like Anouma, are from West Africa, and the election of any of the three would be a first, as there has never been a CAF president from this part of the continent.
Potential trendsetter
However, it’s still an open question whether Yahya and Senghor will even be in the race by the time the CAF delegates cast their ballots. Prior to Ahmad’s ban, both had pledged their support for the incumbent, so in theory at least, one or both could withdraw, should Ahmad be allowed to re-enter the race.
“It’s very important who will win on March 12,” Mansour Loum said, partly because for the first time there are many candidates “trying to restore the image of an institution that has lost prestige and influence because of the many internal struggles within FIFA.”
There can be little question that with or without Ahmad Ahmad, the March 12 election will have a significant impact on the future direction of African football.
– Deutsche Welle
World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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