Governing Bodies
Infantino seeks for re-election as FIFA president
Gianni Infantino announced on Thursday that he will stand for re-election for a third term as president of FIFA.
“I want to tell you that I will be standing for re-election next year,” Infantino said at the congress of world football’s governing body in Doha.
Infantino, a 52-year-old Swiss-Italian lawyer, was the secretary general of European governing body UEFA before becoming FIFA president in 2016 in the wake of the corruption scandal that brought down predecessor Sepp Blatter.
He then won a second term when he stood unopposed for re-election at a congress in Paris in 2019.
His mandate then was for four years and the next congress will take place “some time at the beginning of next year”, Infantino said.
Delegates from across the football world were gathered in Doha ahead of today’s draw for the World Cup, which Qatar is holding in November and December of this year.
Meanwhile, Infantino tried to distance himself from a highly controversial project to hold the World Cup every two years as he suggested the plan had never actually been proposed by world football’s governing body.
“Let me be very clear that FIFA has not proposed a biennial World Cup,” Infantino said on the stage at the organisation’s congress in Doha on the eve of the draw for this year’s tournament.
Despite that, Infantino has pushed the project in recent months along with Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager who is now FIFA’s head of global development.
Infantino claimed at a virtual global summit to discuss the topic last December that playing the World Cup more regularly would offer enormous financial benefits for member federations.
Then, FIFA promised an extra $19 million every four years for each national federation, based on feasibility studies projecting major revenue increases.
Yet Infantino had to put off holding a vote on the subject due to vociferous opposition from all sides.
It had initially been thought the subject would feature prominently at Thursday’s congress in the Qatari capital, but the agenda was instead dominated by the fall-out from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as the build-up to the World Cup.
“Let’s get the process clear here –- the last FIFA Congress asked the FIFA administration… to start a feasibility study into holding the World Cup every two years,” Infantino added.
“The FIFA administration under the leadership of Arsene Wenger did exactly that.
“FIFA did not propose anything, but came to the conclusion that it is feasible, that it would have some repercussions and impact.”
He added: “We found it would be feasible and even positive for a big part of the world, but there is of course also big opposition to it and that is where the discussion has to start.”
The project has been lambasted by almost all sides, with UEFA and South American governing body CONMEBOL uniting in their opposition and even moving towards organising a transatlantic Nations League after 2024.
The European Club Association as well as leagues and players have voiced their disapproval too.
The Confederation of African Football did give its backing, but even the International Olympic Committee expressed concerns about more frequent World Cups drawing attention away from other sports.
However, Infantino later indicated that there was still some hope of eventually reviving the project.
“We are looking at all options. We will take the time it takes with the utmost understanding of all positions,” he said.
He also said that plans for an expanded, 24-team Club World Cup remain alive despite the pandemic forcing the indefinite postponement of the first edition.
Planned for June and July of 2021, it was put off in order to make way for the Copa America and Euro 2020, both postponed by a year because of Covid-19.
The Club World Cup in its existing guise features seven teams — the champions of each continental federation as well as the host nation — and Infantino admitted it is “not exciting or inclusive enough”.
“We took a decision to have a new Club World Cup with 24 teams. It should have been played in June 2021 and we agreed to postpone it,” Infantino said.
“That is still the plan. We did not yet fix a new date for that because there are more important things which we have to deal with, like the pandemic.
“In the meantime we have our current Club World Cup but we are still looking forward to a new version.”
Chelsea won this year’s Club World Cup, beating Palmeiras in the final in Abu Dhabi last month.
Governing Bodies
Sanusi set for record-extending tenure as Nigeria’s football politicians assemble in Asaba
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Speculations gathered ahead of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Nigeria Football Federation holding in Asaba on Friday have it that tenure elongation for the General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, is a major item on the agenda.
Neither formal confirmation nor denial has been issued since one of the leading newspapers in Nigeria, ThisDay dropped the hint.
The agenda of the meeting is also not made public. Dr, Sanusi is the longest-serving General Secretary in history having been in office from 30 March 2015 making 3,476 days or nine years six months and four days.
It easily drowned that of his closest rival in tenure – Sani Toro whose tenure from 21 December 1993 to 3 May 1999 is merely 2020 days or five years, six months and 12 days.
Thus, no one had enjoyed a longer period in office than the incumbent, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. It is speculated that the tenure will be extended as NFF has reported that all delegates have arrived in the Delta State capital by Thursday evening.
The NFF Annual General Assembly, the first of which took place 90 years ago in Lagos on 19 February 1934, is the biggest assemblage of football administrators and stakeholders in the country.
In one such meeting on 24 July 2008 in Makurdi, the football body changed its name from NFA to NFF.
This year, according to a press release by the NFF, the plenary will have in attendance, the chairmen and secretaries of football associations in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, chairmen and secretaries of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Nigeria National League, Nigeria Women Football League and the Nationwide League One, as well as chairmen and secretaries of the referees’ association, players’ union and coaches’ association. This group of 88 makes up the Congress.
They are joined by the members of the NFF Executive Committee and the management team as well as former NFF Presidents and General Secretaries.
The Minister of Sports Development, John Owan Enoh, is announced as the special guest. Nigeria’s Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is also expected as well as a representative of the West African Football Union (WAFU B).
The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Francis Oborevwori will declare the General Assembly open.
Venue is the Unity Hall of the Delta State Government House.
Governing Bodies
Like in Egypt, former Nigerian Olympian, Sadiq Abdulahi wants Tinubu to declare ‘State of Emergency’ in Sports
Former Nigerian tennis player and Olympian, Prof. Sadiq Abdulahi has called for drastic action to arrest the decline of Nigeria in global sporting events.
The former tennis player who is now a professor in the United States declared that the “failure to win a medal at the regular 2024 Paris Olympics, the few medals at the Paris Paralympic and the fallout at the National Youth Sports Festival has exposed the deep problems facing the sport’s sector.”
He wants Nigeria to have the same approach that the Egyptian president has taken while reacting to the country’s performance at the Paris 2024 Olypics.
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that participated at the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.
According to Prof. Abdulahi, the National Sports Federations charged with the preparation of elite athletes have failed to do their job despite the cry for funding from the government.
“Federal Government cannot adequately fund all the Olympics sports. It is impossible.
“By declaring a state of emergency, new people, new approaches and new funding models will be identified. More importantly, the Federal Government will redefine grassroots sports development.
“We will lay sustainable foundation for sports development.”
Continuing, he called for the return of the National Sports Commission (NSC) which enabling decree was abolished through Decree No. 7 of 1991, but came back through presidential proclamation under Sani Abacha before it was abolished again.
The original NSC was established in 1964 as National Sports Council before the promulgation of Decree 34 of 1971 which legalised it as the apex Federal Government agency to control, regulate and organize sports.
“The FG may now bring back the National Sports Commission or the National Sports Authority. Our emerging national economy with the full participation of the private sector can support this new beginning. I hope this helps.”
RELATED STORY: President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
Governing Bodies
CAF gives Yoruba and Arabic interpretations of ‘OLA’ the Super Cup 2024 Official Match Ball
The Confédération African of Football, CAF, has given the linguistics interpretation of OLA, the confederation’s official match balls produced by Puma which has also unveiled a special edition for the Super Cup duel holding on Friday in Saudi Arabia.
According to CAF, OLA, symbolizing the dynamic and energetic nature of African football, means “wealth,” “honour,” and “respect” in Yoruba and “rise” and “success” in Arabic.
The OLA ball stands out with its vibrant design and cultural significance. “OLA”
The ball is a mix of black and gold, representing power and sophistication. The ball will be the centrepiece of the eagerly-awaited match between the two giants of African football.
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