Governing Bodies
NFF BIDS EX- INTERNATIONAL, AJIBADE BABALADE FAREWELL
The Nigeria Football Federation has paid glowing tributes to former Super Eagles’ defender, Ajibade Babalade, who died on 4September 2020 and laid to rest in Ibadan, this Friday 15th January.
The hard-as-nails defender, a member of the Super Eagles squad that won bronze medal at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Senegal, suffered a heart attack and lost the battle at a private hospital.
The Christian wake keep was held at the former Liberty Stadium now Obafemi Awolowo Stadium in Ibadan on Thursday evening. Incidentally, the sacred arena, the first modern stadium in West Africa, was the venue of Babalade’s many battles on the pitch as a player.
Not to be easily forgotten was a 60 metre shot he took against Egypt’s Zamalek in 1996. The thunderous shot took score line to 2-0 in an eventual 2-1 win for Shooting Stars in the first leg of the last edition of the Africa Cup of Champions Clubs.
General Secretary of the NFF, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said Nigerian Football will never forget the “energetic and highly dedicated player who defended the colours of Nigeria with so much passion, fervour and elan.”
He added: “Ajibade Babalade was a rugged and no-nonsense defender who was happy to wear the colours of Nigeria at any time.
“Whenever he was there on the field of play, there was never a doubt as to his total commitment. He was like a soldier on the war front like no other. Nigerian Football will miss him greatly.
“We pray that God grants his soul eternal rest, and also grant those he has left behind, particularly his family members, the fortitude to bear the loss.”
‘Kunde’, as Babalade was fondly called, was a member of the Shooting Stars Sports Club of Ibadan squad that won the first edition of the CAF Cup competition, then known as MKO Abiola Cup, in 1992.
He was also a member of the 3SC squad that won the Nigeria League and Cup double in 1995, before the same team reached the final of then African Champion Clubs’ Cup in 1996, losing on penalty shoot-out to Zamalek FC of Egypt in Cairo.
Babalade was again in the 3SC team that won the WAFU Clubs’ Cup in 1998.
The body of the late defender was interred at his residence in Aboderin lay-out, Elewura, off Challenge Road, Ibadan.
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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