International Football

CAF Election: The Hour Draws Near

Published

7 years ago

March 15, 2017

By KUNLE SOLAJA.

The 39th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly reaches its crescendo and close on Thursday with election to the position of president and the executive committee as well as those to sit on the FIFA Council.
The election, which begins with the presidential, will hold at 9am in Ethiopia (7am in Nigeria, GMT +1).
This general assembly may be the most politically divisive and explosive as files and ranks have been broken onto two major political blocs. Those for the current president and those pressing for change.
The high point is the election of the CAF president as Issa Hayatou is for the first time in 29 years having a serious challenger. Contesting the position with him is Ahmad (just a single name) of Madagascar.
In all, there are no fewer than 27 candidates contesting for positions. Nigeria is making another attempt to be on the executive committee after the last two failed attempts to get Ibrahim Galadima and Aminu Maigari on board.
The current Nigeria’s candidate, Amaju Pinnick, sits on crest of wave. His success hangs on the outcome of the presidential election as those on Hayatou’s camp are strongly opposed to him.
Those not in Hayatou’s camp are his allies. They include the 14 southern African coalition of COSAFA, the five English speaking countries of West Africa, the Anglophone East Africa – Uganda and Tanzania and Egypt in North Africa. Those are the clear backers of the combined team of Amaju Pinnick and Ahmad of Madagascar.
The battle ground composes of the largely Francophone countries. Their stand remains unclear even as Hayatou comes from that bloc.
The ‘town crier’ at the Sports Village Square gathered that the plot to oust Hayatou was hatched at the last FIFA Congress in Mexico by the Anglophone countries with pockets of supports from their Francophone counterparts.
There was a speculation that Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal was picked as the first African and woman general secretary of FIFA to break the ranks of Francophone bloc. She is believed to be saddled with the responsibility of ensuring in a new political order in CAF.
In the election, some of the contestants are defending their seats. Hayatou is one of such. He is facing Ahmad of Madagascar. Ahmad will relinquish his Southern zone seat but the other member Suketu Patel (Seychelles) will be up for re-election alongside Danny Jordaan (South Africa), Frans Mbidi (Namibia) and Rui Eduardo Da Costa (Angola).
Nigeria’s Amaju Pinnick, is contesting the West Zone B with the incumbent Moucharafou of Benin. In West Africa zone A, Liberia’s Hassan Musa Bility will be up against Amadou Diakité (Mali).
The only candidate who has won the election before the election is Chad’s Adoum Djibrine who is returning unopposed.
In the Central-East Zone executive committee seat, contesting are: Moses Magogo (Uganda), Suleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti), Suleiman Hassan Waberi (Djibouti) and Sudan’s Magdi Shams El Din who is the incumbent.
In North Africa zone, Anwar El Tashani (Libya) and Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco) will be up against incumbent Mohamed Raouraoua (Algeria). Also to be contested are Africa’s seats on the FIFA Council. There is a slot for the Arabic/Portuguese/Spanish bloc, another for the English bloc while the third is for the Francophone bloc.There is a fourth seat which is open and another one for the woman category.
Hani Abo Rida (Egypt) and Tarek Bouchamoui (Tunisia) are going for the one seat in the Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish bloc while Augustin Sidy Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire) and Omari Constant Selemani (RD Congo) will be up for the one seat in the Francophone category.
Former Zambia boss Kalusha Bwalya, Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana) and Leodegar Tenga (Tanzania) are all eyeing the one seat in English bloc. There are four candidates; Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea), Chabur Goc (South Sudan), Danny Jordaan (South Africa) and Lydia Nsekera (Burundi) are eying the three seats in the open category.
To balance gender, Isha Johansen (Sierra Leone) and Lydia Nsekera (Burundi) will be up for the lone female seat.
There will also be election of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Audit and Conformity Committee and that of the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Jurisdictional Bodies of CAF.

International Football

BREAKING – Video: Osimhen accepts to join Galatasaray

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

At last, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen is out of the limbo. He has accepted to join Galatasaray on loan.

He is now asking for a release clause at Napoli to become €75m instead of €130m

He also wants a break clause for January in case top clubs approach him over move.

The final points are being discussed. He has been videoed celebrating with the Turkey club’s fans.

International Football

Uruguay striker Suarez to play last international match on Friday

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez announced his international retirement on Monday, ending a 17-year career with his national team as their top scorer with 69 goals.

The 37-year-old, who has 142 caps for his country, made his international debut in 2007 and was key in the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and won the Copa America a year later.

“Friday will be my last match with my country’s national team,” an emotional Suarez told a press conference.

“The fact that is my decision to retire and that I’m not retired because of injuries or that they stop calling me for one thing or another, that gives me a lot of comfort, it helps me individually.

“It’s difficult but it gives me peace of mind that until the last game I have given my all, and that flame has not been extinguished little by little,” the striker added.

Uruguay take on Paraguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Friday in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup before facing Venezuela four days later.

Suarez scored the stoppage-time goal against Canada that secured third place at the Copa America in July and the striker added that one of his aims was to show he could continue to contribute to the national team.

“My dream was for my children to see me win something important with the national team … that last goal was very nice for them and even though it wasn’t a trophy to take home, it was very nice for them,” he said.

“I wanted to show people again that I can continue to contribute to the national team and, well, I had the Copa America and yes, I could have done it (retired) perfectly after that, but having analysed the situation, I want to do it with my people, in my stadium.

“I want my children to live this experience. Saying goodbye with the people here is something that I don’t know if many have done.”

Suarez has already said Inter Miami will be his last club after joining the Major League Soccer side last year to reunite with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

-Reuters

International Football

Quitting Portugal never crossed my mind, says Ronaldo

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed suggestions he had considered ending his international career in the near future, adding that post-Euro criticism did not worry him.

Portugal host Croatia in their Nations League opener on Thursday before welcoming Scotland in League A Group One on Sunday.

“That’s all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle (with Portugal) had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” Ronaldo told a press conference on Monday.

“The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League … We’ve already won it once and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again, but I don’t think long term, it’s always short term.”

Ronaldo captained Portugal to success in the opening edition of the Nations League in 2018-19, three years after they became European Champions for the first time in France.

“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” Ronaldo added.

“What I feel at the moment, and the coach’s (Roberto Martinez) words also demonstrate this, is that I continue to be an asset to the national team and I will be the first (to admit it) if that isn’t the case.

“When I’m (no longer) an asset I will be the first to leave. But I will go with a clear conscience, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I do and what I will continue to do.”

The 39-year-old appeared untroubled by criticism he faced for failing to score at the 2024 European Championship.

“Criticism is great because if it doesn’t exist there’s no progress. It’s always been like this. Is it going to change now? It won’t,” Ronaldo said.

“So I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal.

“The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room, and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1.

“How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tires, rims or the weight of the car … It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is good and part of it, it’s no problem at all.”

-Reuters