International Football
CRISIS ERUPTS IN CAF OVER ALLEGATIONS OF DICTATORIAL TENDENCIES, FAVOURITISM AND FRAUD
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
There has been an implosion in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a standing committee chairman resigns after open disagreement with the confederation president, Ahmad.
Musa Hassan Bility, the Liberian chairman of Committee on CHAN and also a member of the Emergency Committee has tendered a letter of resignation from both bodies.
His resignation has revealed the fragile bong among the members who were initially united in upstaging the ‘ancient regime’ two years ago.
Halfway into the first tenure of the new helmsmen, open disagreement has come up.
Bility alleged in his resignation letter dated February 1, 2019 that each time he disagreed with the CAF president or any of his “close associates”, on any issue, the president would take that against him and would thereafter decide whether he would function or not.
He pointed at the Ahmad scheduling a meeting of the CHAN Committee without his knowledge, even though he, Bility was the chairman.
Bility remarked that as the chairman of the committee, he was supposed to be at the head and also duly informed of the agenda and the purpose of the meeting.
That appears to be the immediate cause of Bility’s resignation. He however also frowned at
He informed that Ahmad had dictatorial tendencies. According to Bility who at one time wanted to contest for the FIFA presidency, Ahmad at their last meeting proclaimed: “I am the President of CAF, I am the President of every committee”.
This according to Bility is not correct.
He declared: “Mr. President you are the President of CAF but not the President of all Committees. These are Statutory Committees and must function independently and report to the Executive committee in accordance with their statutory mandates.
“Assuming their responsibilities, as you are doing now, makes it impossible for you to play your role as the Head of CAF. Obviously, performing these tasks deprives you of the roles you ought to play such as to supervise or counter check or review the performances of others.
“This is precisely why the framers of our Statues enshrined the appropriate administrative layers in it for the smooth and transparent function of our noble Institution.”
Bility also complained of the lopsidedness of composition of committees in CAF. “The current composition of the CAF Standing Committees clearly begs question of good governance and transparency.
“We have 54 members and there’s absolutely no reason why any standing committee (especially the keys ones) should have more than one person from a member Association/Country.
“I have discussed this with the President and he has responded in the usual manner: “I’m the President and I do as I want”.
Probably the most damaging of the allegations made by Bility is that of financial misconduct.
In his letter of resignation, he wrote: “Lastly, and very sadly, the President’s approach to issues concerning his colleagues is rather sad and divisive. A case in point has to do with a $200,000 that was wired by CAF to an unknown account in Europe.
“This money was designated for the Liberian FA while I was serving as it’s President. But interestingly CAF sent it to the account of a firm in Poland that deals in artifacts. CAF claims it received the instruction from the Liberia FA to send the funds to this firm. Of course, this is false and misleading.
“This begs two very important questions: can CAF send funds intended for MA to a third-party beneficiary? In the wake of tight International restrictions on financial transactions aimed at combatting terrorism and money laundering, were requirements such as Invoice and contract that would clearly state the purpose for which the funds were sent presented to the CAF before it authorized these transactions? “And if any, where these instruments in conformity with CAF Financial regulations? Why would CAF authorize a payment intended for football development in a member Association’s Country to a firm that deals in artifacts two years in a row without any red flag? Why CAF didn’t request for the first utilization report before sending the second payment to the same dubious recipients?
International Football
Players’ union, FIFPRO, wants 20-minute halftimes, more cooling breaks amid extreme heat
Global players’ union FIFPRO is exploring whether extending halftime to 20 minutes and introducing more frequent cooling breaks could better protect players from extreme heat.
Nine of the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup face conditions considered “extreme risk” for heat-related illness.
Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Monterrey and Philadelphia are expected to face dangerous levels of heat and humidity, posing player safety concerns and fuelling calls for mandatory cooling aids or schedule changes.
FIFPRO’s heat risk assessments are based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a measure combining temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed to estimate how environmental conditions affect the body’s ability to cool itself.
Under FIFPRO guidelines, a WBGT reading above 28 degrees Celsius indicates conditions in which matches should be postponed or rescheduled to protect players’ health.
By comparison, world soccer governing body FIFA’s own guidelines set the extreme risk threshold higher, at 32 degrees Celsius WBGT – but even by that standard, six of the nine cities are still projected to exceed safe limits.
Major League Soccer in the U.S. has a threshold of 29 degrees Celsius WBGT.
“Cooling breaks at the 30th minute and 75th minutes are quite traditional, but from a physiological point of view it does not make sense,” said Vincent Gouttebarge, FIFPRO’s Medical Director.
“Even if you ingest more than 200 millilitres of fluid, you already cannot take it all. So I would definitely like to see some project where we look at the efficacy of perhaps more frequent but shorter cooling breaks – every 15 minutes, rather than only one during each half.”
LONGER HALFTIMES
Gouttebarge also questioned whether the traditional 15-minute halftime interval is sufficient when matches are played in extreme heat.
“You can imagine that halftime of 15 minutes might not be enough in order to decrease the core temperature,” he said.
“It could be a halftime of 20 minutes which would be significant. That has been shown in the laboratory and FIFPRO, together with the national union in Portugal in August, we are going to test this kind of mitigation strategy.”
The urgency of stronger heat protocols became clear at this month’s Club World Cup where two matches — Benfica-Bayern Munich in Charlotte and Chelsea-Esperance in Philadelphia exceeded the WBGT threshold FIFPRO considers unsafe.
“According to our position, those games should have been postponed later that day or rescheduled,” Gouttebarge said.
FIFPRO officials acknowledged that FIFA has responded constructively during the tournament by lowering thresholds for mandatory cooling breaks and improving pitch-side hydration, but stressed that proactive planning is critical.
“FIFA have been quite responsive once the tournament was under way,” said Alex Phillips, FIFPRO General Secretary.
“They have actually modified how they’ve been dealing with heat during the matches based on FIFPRO’s input, which is credit to the work of the team. Obviously, it would have been better if that happened in advance, but it’s better that they have adapted.”
FIFPRO warned that the risks highlighted at the Club World Cup are a preview of what players could face at the expanded 2026 World Cup.
“This is not just affecting the Club World Cup, but also future tournaments either in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world,” said Alexander Bielefeld, FIFPRO Director of Policy & Strategic Relations.
“We need a better balance between commercial interests and the health and safety of players,” he added, referring to earlier kick-off times to accommodate European television audiences.
-Reuters
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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Ince has been charged with drink-driving, police said on Monday.
Ince, who earned 53 caps for England and won two Premier League titles during his six years at United, has been released on bail and will appear in court on July 18.
“The incident involved a black Range Rover which had collided with the central reservation barrier. Officers attended the scene and arrested a 57-year-old man,” the Cheshire police said in a statement.
“Paul Ince, of Quarry Road, Neston, has since been charged with drink-driving.”
Reuters has contacted Ince’s representative for comment.
After retiring as a player, Ince led Milton Keynes Dons to a League Two title in 2007-08. He most recently managed Reading during 2022-23.
-Reuters
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International Football
From garbage collector to Starman of Ancelotti’s Brazil team: the story of Ribeiro
“I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me.!” Alex Ribeiro
Alexsandro Victor de Souza Ribeiro (Rio de Janeiro, 1999) was, until a few days ago, a semi-unknown to the general public in Brazil.
However, Carlo Ancelotti, impressed by his strong performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League, insisted on calling up the Lille centre-back… and giving him his debut.
Not only that. He started alongside Marquinhos against Ecuador (0-0) and Paraguay (1-0) and helped the Seleçao keep two consecutive clean sheets for the first time in the qualifying rounds.
Alex, as he likes to be called, impressed with his 1.92 meters (6′ 1″) frame and confidence. According to ‘R10Score’, he was the Brazilian player who completed the most actions with the ball (186) and the second with the most cuts (11).
He completed 154 of the 166 passes he made (92% accuracy) and won 12 of the 16 duels he was involved in: 5 of 7 at ground level and 7 of 9 in the air. “A gentleman defender,” boasted the official Ligue 1 Portuguese account.
His path to the elite wasn’t easy. “I don’t think you know this, but this is my first game as a professional in Brazil. Strange, isn’t it? There’s nothing better. To debut in Brazil like this, with a win and qualification,” he boasted after defeating Paraguay.
These first few days with Ancelotti have been unique; I’ll remember them for the rest of my life. I’ve responded well not only to myself, but also to the coach and the Brazilian people. I was able to demonstrate my ability to those who had doubts. Few people give me the opportunity that the manager has given me,” he insists
The Lille centre-back took his first steps in Flamengo’s youth system, where he even met Vinicius.
“When we played against Real Madrid, Vini came up to me and hugged me. He said, ‘I’m glad to see you here, brother.’ That inspired and motivated me even more,” he told ‘Globo Esporte’.
‘Fla’ cut him off. He had to make a living as a street vendor. He also collected trash, especially cans. “I was without a team for a year and a half, doing trials… and no club in Brazil wanted me, so I went to Europe to play in Portugal’s Third Division.”
Praiense (2018-20), Amora (2020-21), and Chaves (2021-22)—the latter already in the Second Division—were his springboard to Lille. The Bulldogs signed him in 2022-23 for €2 million. He has become a more than worthy successor to his compatriot Gabriel Magalhaes.
“Little by little, my name is spreading. My football is reaching everywhere. This includes Brazil,” he said before making his debut with the Seleçao. Now that he’s made it, he has another challenge: “I want to continue it.”
-Marca
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