International Football
CRISIS ERUPTS IN CAF OVER ALLEGATIONS OF DICTATORIAL TENDENCIES, FAVOURITISM AND FRAUD
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
There has been an implosion in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a standing committee chairman resigns after open disagreement with the confederation president, Ahmad.
Musa Hassan Bility, the Liberian chairman of Committee on CHAN and also a member of the Emergency Committee has tendered a letter of resignation from both bodies.
His resignation has revealed the fragile bong among the members who were initially united in upstaging the ‘ancient regime’ two years ago.
Halfway into the first tenure of the new helmsmen, open disagreement has come up.
Bility alleged in his resignation letter dated February 1, 2019 that each time he disagreed with the CAF president or any of his “close associates”, on any issue, the president would take that against him and would thereafter decide whether he would function or not.
He pointed at the Ahmad scheduling a meeting of the CHAN Committee without his knowledge, even though he, Bility was the chairman.
Bility remarked that as the chairman of the committee, he was supposed to be at the head and also duly informed of the agenda and the purpose of the meeting.
That appears to be the immediate cause of Bility’s resignation. He however also frowned at
He informed that Ahmad had dictatorial tendencies. According to Bility who at one time wanted to contest for the FIFA presidency, Ahmad at their last meeting proclaimed: “I am the President of CAF, I am the President of every committee”.
This according to Bility is not correct.
He declared: “Mr. President you are the President of CAF but not the President of all Committees. These are Statutory Committees and must function independently and report to the Executive committee in accordance with their statutory mandates.
“Assuming their responsibilities, as you are doing now, makes it impossible for you to play your role as the Head of CAF. Obviously, performing these tasks deprives you of the roles you ought to play such as to supervise or counter check or review the performances of others.
“This is precisely why the framers of our Statues enshrined the appropriate administrative layers in it for the smooth and transparent function of our noble Institution.”
Bility also complained of the lopsidedness of composition of committees in CAF. “The current composition of the CAF Standing Committees clearly begs question of good governance and transparency.
“We have 54 members and there’s absolutely no reason why any standing committee (especially the keys ones) should have more than one person from a member Association/Country.
“I have discussed this with the President and he has responded in the usual manner: “I’m the President and I do as I want”.
Probably the most damaging of the allegations made by Bility is that of financial misconduct.
In his letter of resignation, he wrote: “Lastly, and very sadly, the President’s approach to issues concerning his colleagues is rather sad and divisive. A case in point has to do with a $200,000 that was wired by CAF to an unknown account in Europe.
“This money was designated for the Liberian FA while I was serving as it’s President. But interestingly CAF sent it to the account of a firm in Poland that deals in artifacts. CAF claims it received the instruction from the Liberia FA to send the funds to this firm. Of course, this is false and misleading.
“This begs two very important questions: can CAF send funds intended for MA to a third-party beneficiary? In the wake of tight International restrictions on financial transactions aimed at combatting terrorism and money laundering, were requirements such as Invoice and contract that would clearly state the purpose for which the funds were sent presented to the CAF before it authorized these transactions? “And if any, where these instruments in conformity with CAF Financial regulations? Why would CAF authorize a payment intended for football development in a member Association’s Country to a firm that deals in artifacts two years in a row without any red flag? Why CAF didn’t request for the first utilization report before sending the second payment to the same dubious recipients?
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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