Governing Bodies
CAF AWARDS: ASISAT OSHOALA’S EYES ON A FOURTH CROWN
South African Thembi Kgatlana and Cameroon’s Ajara Nchout Njoya stand in the way of Nigerian Asisat Oshoala’s race to clinch a fourth African Women’s Player of the Year crown at the CAF Awards to be staged in Hurghada.
The Nigerian superstar has been crowned winner in 2014, 2016 and 2017 and is hoping to equal the record of her mentor and compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha who has been decorate four times – 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011.
Since 2014, Oshoala has always made it to the top three in the running for the Women’s Player of the Year award and her prowess in 2019 has seen her achieve the feat once again.
Her successful 2019 began
with a move to Spanish side FC Barcelona.
Oshoala was an instant hit from the first moment she joined Barca where she also featured for them in their 2018/19 UEFA Women’s Champions League., scoring in the 4-1 loss to French side Olympique Lyonnais in the final.
She has also scored eight goals for the club, a feat that has seen her extend her stay in the Spanish City with a contract that runs until 2022.
Oshoala was also an integral part of the Nigeria team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France where the Super Falcons reached the knockout stages. She scored the second goal in the 2-0 victory over South Korea in the group stages, a victory that saw them through to the Round of 16.
They were however eliminated by Germany after a 3-0 loss.
Oshoala also skippered the Nigerian team in the African qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where they were eliminated in the third round after losing to Côte d’Ivoire. She scored in the 1-0 victory over Algeria in the second round.
She also netted in the 1-1 draw with the Ivorians in Lagos, but could not progress after bowing out on the away goal rule following a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Abidjan.
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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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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