Governing Bodies
New NFF board sworn in
The set of board members to administer Nigerian football and possibly steer the Super Eagles to the World Cup 2026 has been sworn in.
The new board headed by Ibrahim Musa Gusau was on Friday elected at the congress held in Benin.
Until Friday afternoon, Gusau was Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria Football, and also Chairman of the Zamfara State Football Association. He defeated Seyi Akinwunmi, who until Friday afternoon was the NFF’s 1st Vice President, by polling 21 votes to Akinwunmi’s 12 in the first round.
Akinwunmi, who is Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, announced his withdrawal just before the run-off was to take place, just as Mallam Shehu Dikko (who polled 6 votes) and Alhaji Abba Abdullahi Yola (1 vote).
However, former international goalkeeper Peterside Idah (1 vote in round one) refused to step down and earned another 1 vote in run-off, as Gusau coasted home with 39 votes.
The 58 –year old Gusau is a qualified accountant and a Safety and Security Officer for the Confederation of African Football.
The race for the presidency, which had 11 contestants, was whittled down before the ballot as Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam withdrew few days to the poll, while Musa Amadu, Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande and Adam Mukhtar Mohammed pulled out just before the vote inside the auditorium.
Felix Anyansi-Agwu, long-term Chairman of two-time CAF Champions League winners Enyimba FC, swept to the 1st Vice President position by with a 23-8 vote trashing of Obinna Ogba, a serving senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports Development).
Yusuf Ahmed Fresh was unopposed for the position of Chairman of Chairmen, just as Sharif Rabiu Inuwa had an easy ride picking a slot from the North West without any opposition.
Margaret Icheen was elected from the North Central zone, edging incumbent Mohammed Alkali by 22 votes to 19 in a run-off, just as incumbent Babagana Kalli and newman Timothy Henman Magaji succeeded in the North-East race.
Essien Udofot and Ms Aisha Falode won the two seats available from the South-South after an interesting run-off saw Essien taking 19 votes to Falode’s 13, with first-round leader Poubeni Ogun ejected with seven votes.
The race for seats from the South-East zone was suspended on a technicality, but Sunday Dele-Ajayi made a return to the NFF Board from the South West just as Ganiyu Majekodunmi retained his seat. Dele-Ajayi and Majekodunmi earned 12 votes each in the run-off, with Gafar Liameed third with seven votes and Afolabi Taiwo Olugbenga in fourth place with four votes.
The momentous event that lasted well into the night was witnessed by three officials of world football-governing body, FIFA: Gelson Fernandes, Solomon Mudege and Ahmad Mohamed Mukhtar Harraz.
Felix Majani was the eye of the Confederation of African Football.
Mohammed Baba Abdullahi represented the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu declared the event open.
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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