Governing Bodies
Aisha Buhari Cup: It is 30 Days to Kick-off!
The much -anticipated Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament which will see six of Africa’s leading women National Teams competing for honours in the City of Lagos is only 30 days to its commencement.
Nine-time African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, are looking to rekindle rivalry with other top African teams in the women’s game at the invitational tourney themed Playing for Good. The tournament is billed for 13th – 21st September 2021 and will also involve the women A teams of Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco and Mali.
Super Falcons, presently in high spirits after a first-ever participation in the USWNT Summer Series in the United States of America and an 8-day training camp in Austria ahead of this tournament, are largely expected to re-assert their dominance and superiority in Africa, following their inability to make the just-concluded Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament, otherwise known as Aisha Buhari Cup, is enjoying the support of top football stakeholders in the country and all hands are on desk for a successful tournament, with an organizing committee peopled by tested administrators and technocrats.
Chairman of the LOC, Seyi Akinwunmi has stated that “the theme of the tournament resonated with the vision and mission of the organizing committee to use the tournament to uphold the honour of the name and Office of Her Excellency, highlight the good causes of the Aisha Buhari Foundation and build and sustain positive narratives about the City of Lagos and Nigeria at large.”
A Football Conference is planned for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in the coming weeks to further sensitize and galvanize the political and business environments to the principal objectives of the week-long tournament.
Cameroon’s Lionesses open camp for Aisha Buhari Cup
Head Coach Gabriel Zabo has invited 30 players to the camp of the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, 30 days to the commencement of the Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament holding in Nigeria, 13th – 21st September 2021.
The Lionesses have been runners-up of the Women Africa Cup of Nations on four occasions, including the 2016 finals that Cameroon hosted, falling in the final hurdle when a late goal by Nigeria’s Desire Oparanozie ended their ambition at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde.
In Coach Zabo’s provisional list, which has only home-based professionals, are four goalkeepers, 10 defenders, eight midfielders and eight forwards.
The Lionesses made their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals in Canada in 2015, and were also one of Africa’s flag-bearers at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.
They are currently ranked number 2 in Africa (behind the Super Falcons) and 52nd in the world.
CAMEROON’S PROVISIONAL LIST:
Goalkeepers: Kirya Michaely Bihina; Ange Bawou; Marthe Ongmahan; Pauline Ayangma Alang
Defenders: Evanick Touta; Doudou Ousmanou; Laure Kong; Vanessa Kalieu; Dani Mimbang; Ambena Ewondo; Michelle Moumazin; Zeh Manga; Rita Wanki; Berthe Abega
Midfielders: Alice Maffo; Raissa Nyangbang Adama; Yvette Kamieta; Ebenye Ebongue; Monique Ngock Ngo; Fatima Kome; Edjenguele Endalle; Melvis Tantoh
Forwards: Eliane Bibout; Brenda Tabe; Alice Kameni; Batoum Ngo; Annie Enganaben; Latifa Ousmane; Lamine Mana; Adrienne Mekuko
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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