Governing Bodies
CAR, Super Eagles’ World Cup opponent stripped of home advantage
When the Super Eagles face Central African Republic on 12 October in the qualifying series for the Qatar 2022, their opponents will host the match in a neutral ground.
This is sequel to CAF’s stripping of the home advantages for eight African countries in the next month’s World Cup qualifiers.
Central African Republic is one of such eight countries whose home grounds were deemed unfit to host international matches and they will now have to play their home ties elsewhere.
The others are Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Mali, Namibia and Niger.Their venues failed inspections by a team from the Confederation of African Football (Caf).
The changes, confirmed in the list of fixtures issued by FIFA for next month’s opening two rounds of group qualifiers, come after an extensive review last year of stadiums and playing surfaces across Africa.
Countries were warned to upgrade their facilities or risk being banned from hosting international matches.
The decision will come as a particular blow to Burkina Faso, who cede home advantage for what could be the key tie in Group A when they meet African champions Algeria on 6 September.
Instead of being played in Ouagadougou, the match has been moved to Marrakesh in Morocco, which will also host Niger’s clash with Burkina Faso on 1 September.
Several other games will also be played in Morocco with Djibouti facing Niger in another Group A game in Rabat on 5 September while Mali, who are favourites in Group E, must host Rwanda in Agadir on 31 August according to Fifa schedule.
Mali built new stadiums to host the Africa Cup of Nations finals some 20 years ago, but none are now deemed suitable.
Namibia, who host Congo on 1 September in Group H, and Malawi, at home to Mozambique in Group D six days later, must play their games at the Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg.
Guinea Bissau’s derby with neighbours Guinea in Group I has been moved in Nouakchott, Mauritania, despite a late inspection of facilities in Bissau where Caf found the playing surface, changing rooms and floodlights below international standards.
Countries banned from playing at home were allowed to negotiate their own alternatives, said Guinea Bissau Football Federation president Carlos Mendes Teixeira.
There are 40 teams competing in 10 African groups, with only the group winners to proceed to the home-and-away playoffs next March which will determine five African qualifiers for the finals in Qatar in late 2022.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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