Governing Bodies
Ghana’s Kurt Okraku named new WAFU B President
Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku has been named as the new President of the Union of West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Zone B.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) boss was unanimously approved as the new leader of the regional body by the all seven member associations during the Wafu B 14th General Assembly in Accra on Saturday.
The 49-year-old takes charge following the decision of the incumbent Djibrilla Hima Hamidou to step down from the position, one year before the end of his mandate.
The President of the Niger Football Federation stood down from the leadership position during Saturday’s event, paving the way for Okraku to continue the remaining term of office which expires in 2022.
The Ghanaian stood unchallenged as all the seven countries in the zone approved him as their new leader before elections are held next year.
Present at the meeting was Ghana’s Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif, CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba, CAF Presidential Advisor Jacques Anouma as well as FIFA Council Members Melvin Amaju Pinnick and Mathurin de Charcus and other federation heads.
Okraku hailed members of the zonal body for unanimously approving him as their new leader insisting he will work with his colleagues to ensure the continuous success of the region.
“I am humbled by your decision to approve me as your leader for this very important zonal body in African football, that has produced most of the champions for African football,” Okraku said during his address to delegates on Saturday.
“I want to thank all of you for your support and to my elder brother Djibrilla Hima Hamidou for laying the good foundation for us to continue to build on and to bring more successes for Wafu B in the near future.
“I want to assure you that I am going to work with all of you, to count on you and to count on your immense experiences to continue to grow the game in our region that is gifted with some of the world’s best players.”
Hamidou, who is a member of the CAF Executive Committee, said he was stepping down to concentrate on his duties with the African football governing body as there are capable people to steer the affairs of Wafu B.
“We have got a lot of leaders in this region capable of leading WAFU B and I made the decision to step down to give the others the chance to help in the further developments of our zonal body,” the Niger Football Federation President told delegates on Saturday.
“In Kurt we have got a highly competent young man who has shown the good desire to contribute his quota to the progress of WAFU B and he has the support of all of us to move the zone in the right direction.
“As I ascend to the CAF Executive Committee, I will support our new President – President Kurt in various ways and I will also help by supporting our region and the entire African football fraternity in putting forward the right policies to help the game grow in Africa.”
The meeting was graced by Federation/Association Presidents and General Secretaries from Cote d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and host Ghana.
Hamidou was elected by acclamation during the General Assembly of the zone held on Friday, 14 September 2018 in Niamey.
Okraku was elected as the President of the Ghana Football Association two years ago.
The famous former sports journalist holds an MBA in Football Management from Liverpool University in the United Kingdom.
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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