Governing Bodies
PREMIER CLUBS COULD BE STRANDED WHEN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESUMES
The European campaigns of several English clubs have been thrown into chaos after the government confirmed a two-week quarantine will be imposed on UK arrivals.
The crackdown was announced in Friday’s daily press briefing, with those coming into the country set to undertake an isolation period of 14 days from June 8.
However, sports stars were not given an exemption from the rule – which has posed a logistics nightmare for British teams still in the Champions League and Europa League.
The authorities are said to be keen to keep any exemptions concerning international arrivals to a bare minimum – with foreign officials, hauliers and medical workers among those excused.
The measures are likely to make international travel to the UK all but impossible for foreign teams.
Real Madrid would be forced to remain in lockdown for a fortnight upon landing before being able to train and face Manchester City in the second leg of their last-16 clash.
Chelsea are also still to jet to Bavaria for their return leg with Bayern Munich – and would encounter a similar scenario when they return to England.
The return dates for the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League are yet to be confirmed, with the top flight’s Project Restart proposals continuing to be met with vocal opposition from a number of players.
But when the competition does eventually restart, the teams that will have to fly across the continent for European games are posed with a nightmare scenario.
For the next round of fixtures, Chelsea and Real Madrid may potentially have to miss out on two domestic matchweeks due to the quarantine period.
However, sports bosses appeared to have initially persuaded Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to appeal for an exemption for players.
Despite this, the minister was overruled by the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office.
According to The Sun, a government source revealed that No 10 plan for the ‘regime to be robust’.
The restrictions were introduced to help prevent a second rise in coronavirus infections from travellers – and breaches may result in a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England, or prosecution with an unlimited fine.
City and Chelsea remain in the Champions League, although the latter appear set to crash out after suffering a heavy first-leg defeat against Bayern in February.
However, UEFA remaine hopeful of finishing the competition in just three months’ time despite the initial confusion posed by the lockdown.
The governing body may now have to seek out alternative arrangements to ensure that both ties are completed.
They will also have to consider the rest of Manchester United, Wolves and Rangers’ Europa League campaigns.
The Old Trafford outfit thumped LASK in the first leg of their last-16 tie in Austria, but are yet to welcome their opponents for the second game at Old Trafford.
There has been no major sport held in the UK since mid-March, when the lockdown started to be enforced nationwide.
And in what appeared to be a much-needed boost to morale, senior Downing Street figures appeared to have agreed that sportsmen would not be expected to adhere to the protective travelling measures.
The Sun reported that the players would have undergone rigorous testing, and would have been expected to enter isolation immediately after a positive test.
But recent developments, including the reported government U-turn have raised further questions over the rest of the campaign.
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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