Governing Bodies
Another South African obstacle for Nigeria as Rivers Angels draw CAF president’s club in CAF Women’s League
Barely a week after South Africa’s women’s team, Bayana Bayana beat the Super Falcons 4-2 at home in what has become the team’s biggest home defeat, another South African hurdle awaits Nigeria in women’s football.
The reigning Nigerian Women’s Premier League champions, Rivers Angels have been drawn to face the South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the group stage of the Caf Women’s Champions League.
The Mamelodi Sundowns team is the women’s squad of the club owned by CAF president, Patrice Motsepe.
Also drawn in the group are ASFAR Club of Morocco and Kenya’s Vihiga Queens FC in Group B.
The draw ceremony which served up plenty of interesting match-ups took place on Wednesday at the CAF headquarters in 6 October City which is a satellite town to Cairo
The ceremony was conducted by CAF’s Director of Competitions, Samson Adamu. He was assisted by another Nigerian, African football great Perpetua Nkwocha and Egypt women’s national team star Alia Zenouki.
Hosts Wadi Degla FC will have their hands full when they take on Mali’s AS Mande, Ghana’s Hasaacas Ladies and Equatorial Guinean side Malabo Kings FC in Group A.
Wadi Degla and AS Mande will kick off the series on November 5 at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
Patrice Motsepe owned Mamelodi Sundowns Queens will set Group B alive when they tackle their Kenyan opponents the following day at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium.
Reacting to the draw, Zenouki – who is the captain of Wadi – stated that her team’s group would be very competitive, however, she is keen on seeing her club emerge as champions.
“I think all of the teams are so good. They have won their domestic league and their respective qualifiers for this tournament,” she said.
“So, I think it will be so competitive and I can’t wait to play and see how the game goes. We will do our best to keep the cup in Egypt.”
Four-time African Women’s Player of the Year Nkwocha described all the teams in Group B as ‘good’ but sees her former team Rivers Angels and Mamelodi Sundowns making it to the knock-out stage.
“I think that group it’s gonna be tough because all the teams that have qualified are good teams,” the former Sunnana SK disclosed.
“However, I believe in Rivers Angels because I have seen them play in [in recent times]. I feel Rivers Angels and Mamelodi Sundowns will come out of the group.”
The 2021 CAF Women’s Champions League takes place from November 5 to 19.
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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