Governing Bodies
COTE D’IVOIRE’S ANOUMA PICKS CAF PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION FORM
Cote d’Ivoire’s Jacques Anouma has thrown his hat into the ring to run for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidency next March – seven years after his first attempt.
He is the second candidate after incumbent, Ahmad to pick nomination. He is also endorsed by the Ivorian football federation.
Anouma, 68, is the second person to be publicly announced for the role ahead of Thursday’s deadline, with reigning CAF President Ahmad having done so late last month.
FIFA Council member, Tarek Bouchamaoui of Tunisia and his compatriot, Wadie Jary the current head of Tunisia Football Federation declared their intention but are yet to pick nomination forms. Entry for the race closes on Thursday.
Cote d’ivoire Football Federation (FIF) announced its support for Anouma, a former member of FIFA executive board, on Saturday evening.
“FIF has decided to give its backing to Mr Jacques Anouma for the CAF presidential election of March 2021,” the body said in a statement.
“FIF wishes Mr Anouma full success in this election.”
Candidates wishing to contest March’s election in Morocco must be nominated by their federation by Thursday, when two-month registration period comes to a close.
Anouma is an honorary president of the Ivorian federation, which he ran between 2002 and 2011, and was a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee, now the FIFA Council, between 2007 and 2015.
This is the second time he has declared his presidential ambitions, with his previous bid having ended before it began.
Anouma’s intentions were thwarted after Caf changed it statutes six months before the March 2013 elections, so effectively barring the Ivorian – who called the decision “scandalous” – from running.
At the time, Anouma’s presence as one of Africa’s representatives on the Fifa executive committee made him sit on Caf’s Executive Committee as a non-voting member.
In September 2012, Caf’s congress adopted a new statute which meant only voting members of its Executive Committee could contest presidential elections.
Anouma, who blamed the statute change on “all kinds of manoeuvres” by then Caf president Issa Hayatou, appealed the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, only for the legal body to uphold Caf’s decision just days before the 2013 election took place.
That rule has since changed, whereby not only executive committee members but any African administrators who can show they have worked in football for the past five years can run for the job.
Although Ahmad has formally submitted his candidacy, Sports Village Square understands that the Malagasy is facing a possible ban from football which could rule him out of March’s elections.
The 60-year-old, who has previously strenuously denied any wrongdoing, is believed to have breached various codes of FIFA’s Ethics, with a public verdict expected later this month.
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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