Governing Bodies
FIFA CANCEL ‘THE BEST’ AWARDS
For the first time since 1991 the glamorous World Footballer for the Year ceremony will not hold.
The awards which was a brain child of France Football and later a collaboration with the World Football body, FIFA was first won by German captain and Inter Millan defender, Lothar Matthaus and lately dominated by the duo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo got the soccer body according to Marca took a momentous decision concerning the awards.
According to Spanish sports publication, Marca, the International body decided to cancel the ‘The Best’ awards ceremony because of coronavirus that has put all sporting activities on hold pending the time human race will conquer the pandemic era.
By doing so, according to the newspaper, FIFA will leave the trophy that recognises the best player of the 19-20 season without a winner, burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic which has paralysed world football.
The ceremony was supposed to take place in September of this year in Milan, but the social and health conditions have made FIFA cancel this year’s edition.
Leo Messi was the winner in 2019. With there being no winner, the Argentine will be the defending champion for another year, coming above Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2019.
It is however not clear if the other version of the awards will still hold but with FIFA no longer out of programme for the year, there is a likelihood of Confederation of African Football (CAF) to toe the line of the world body considering the fact that almost all its programmes have been cancelled both premier and age grade levels, meaning the duo of Senegalese Sadio Mane and Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala are primed to retain their respective Men and Women titles.
As a result of the pandemic era, FIFA will hold its first virtual Congress this year after the annual gathering of its membership in Addis Ababa was postponed.
World football’s governing body had pushed back the Congress in the Ethiopian capital from June to September in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Bureau of its Council has now decided to stage it as an online event.
FIFA said the Congress would take place on September 18.
It is not yet clear what technology and voting systems will be used for the Congress, nor whether Ethiopia will be given the chance to host a future edition of the annual meeting.
Governing bodies in sport have been forced to use video technology to hold key meetings during the coronavirus pandemic, which has severely restricted international travel and prompted Governments to ban mass gatherings.
FIFA is the latest International Federation to announce plans to stage the annual meeting of its supreme body remotely.
The International Rowing Federation’s Congress later this year will be held remotely, while World Sailing is considering a virtual Annual General Meeting, including its Presidential election, if the event cannot be staged as planned.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council, comprising President Gianni Infantino and the heads of each of the six confederations, has also rescheduled two major women’s tournaments which had been due to take place this year.
The Under-20 Women’s World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Costa Rica and Panama, has been pushed back from its initial August and September slot to January 20 to February 6.
The Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India, originally scheduled for November 2 to 21, has been rearranged for February 17 to March 7, 2021.
FIFA confirmed both tournaments would keep their original eligibility criteria.
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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