Governing Bodies
MOTSEPE EXPECTED TO BECOME CAF PRESIDENT WITH RIVALS REPORTEDLY SET TO WITHDRAW
South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe appears favourite to take over as Confederation of African Football (CAF) President amid reports rival candidates have agreed to step aside from standing in the election.
Reports have claimed Senegal’s Augustin Senghor and Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya have agreed to end their campaigns to become CAF President.
The duo will reportedly now back Motsepe, which will lead to the pair being named CAF vice-presidents.
Kenyan journalist Francis Gaitho reported that a meeting was held in Rabat on February 27 and 28, which was attended by Senghor, Yahaya and Jacques Anouma, Honorary President of the Ivorian Football Federation.
The three officials are currently standing in the CAF Presidential election alongside Motsepe.
Gaitho reported that the meeting involved representatives of FIFA and saw discussions held over the candidates supporting Motsepe’s candidacy.
Senghor and Yahaya are claimed to have been offered CAF vice-president positions.
According to Abdoulaye Thiam, President of the Senegalese Sports Press Association, Anouma will be named as an advisor to Motsepe.
The reported agreement comes days after FIFA President Gianni Infantino returned home following a tour of Africa.
Infantino had visited Mauritania, Senegal, the Central African Republic and Rwanda in the early part of his tour, which took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FIFA President latterly visited Sudan, Morocco, Mali and Benin, and the tour included meetings with all four candidates for CAF President.
Infantino has repeatedly called for unity during his visits, stressing that member associations in the continent need to work together.
The Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) last week heeded his call, with the organisation’s 14 members vowing to support Motsepe in the CAF Presidential election.
Should Senghor and Yahaya withdraw to support Motsepe, the South African appears poised to become the next CAF President.
Motsepe is the current owner of South African Premier Soccer League side Mamelodi Sundowns, who were crowned winners of the CAF Champions League in 2016.
Motsepe is the founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals.
Should the agreement be forthcoming, incumbent CAF President Ahmad would effectively be ruled out of contention to secure a second term once and for all – even if he were able to stand in the vote.
Ahmad was banned from all football activity for five years by FIFA in November 2020 after he was found guilty of committing four breaches of the ethics code.
His ban from all football was temporarily suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month.
The CAS has set March 2 as the date for Ahmad’s appeal against FIFA sanctions, and while he was cleared to take the CAF reins once more in the meantime, the Malagasy is still not eligible to stand for re-election.
The CAF Presidential election is scheduled to be held in Rabat, Morocco on March 12, with CAS expected to reach a verdict in Ahmad case before that date.
insidethegames has contacted FIFA and the CAF for a comment.
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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