Governing Bodies
IFFHS ranks Nigeria’s league low in Africa
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) has ranked the Nigeria Premier Football League the ninth in Africa, even behind those of Angola, Tanzania and Sudan. Worldwide, the lead Nigerian league is ranked 77th among the top 80 national leagues of the world.
However, the ranking is before the current season which is being packaged by the Interim Management Committee.
The ranking is for the period 1 January 2022 to 31st December 2022. The statistics made available indicates a sharp drop in the Nigerian league which as at 31 December 2021 was ranked 44 in world.
It shows that the league dropped 33 steps down the ladder in the season that was concluded. In July last year.
In contrast, Egypt, which league is highest rated in Africa ranked 14th in 2021 and improved to 13th globally in 2022.
Algeria had even a more significant improvement from 29th in 2021 to 20th in 2022. The same applies to Africa’s third best football league, the Moroccan Botola Pro.
In 2021, the Moroccan league was ranked 30th and moved significantly up the ladder to 24th as at December 2022. The Sudanese league that is fourth ranked in Africa rose from 74th in 2021 to 33rd in 2022.
There are others in Africa rated above Nigeria. They include Africa’s fifth ranked league, Tanzania which globally moved from 62nd in 2021 to 39th in the world in the latest ranking.
The next African league, that of South Africa dropped from 31st in 2021 to 52nd in 2022.Though seventh placed in the continent, Angola dropped from 37th in 2021 to 60th in 2022 global ranking.
Tunisia’s league placed eighth in Africa and 68th in the world dropping from their 38th position in 2021. The Zambian league is the 1oth in Africa and 79th in the world dropping from their earlier 52nd position.
The poor ranking of the Nigerian league could also be gleaned from the poor runs the country’s clubs have been having in the elite club league championship of CAF.
Since 2013, a space of 10 years, only Enyimba in 2016 and Lobi Stars in 2018/19 managed to get to the group stage of the CAF Champions League, even when the groups were increased from two to four since 2017.
The relative strength of a nation’s league, especially in Africa can also be measured by the performances in the African Nations Championship.
In nine editions, Nigeria qualified just thrice and have won no title thus calling for the need to strengthen the domestic league.
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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