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.
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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