Governing Bodies
WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS POSTPONED IN SOUTH AMERICA
South American football’s governing body on Saturday (March 6) postponed two rounds of 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled later this month because of Covid-19 quarantine rules affecting European-based players and the threat of clubs refusing to release their international stars.
The decision to call off the double matchday, which was set to take place on March 25-26 and 30, was “due to the inability to have all the South American players in a timely manner,” Conmebol said in a tweet.
The confederation said it would study the options available in order to reprogramme the matches postponed.
Fifa has given clubs dispensation to prevent players who may be affected by coronavirus regulations from joining up with their countries during the upcoming international window.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday joined Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp in vowing to stop his players from flying overseas for internationals if they would be required to quarantine on their return.
Under current coronavirus guidelines, players arriving in Britain from “red-list” countries, including Brazil and Argentina, are subject to 10 days’ hotel confinement.
Guardiola said he never wanted to stop players from representing their country, but would make an exception as his side closed in on the Premier League title.
“I think it makes no sense if the players go to the national team and then have to isolate for 10 days when they come back,” he said.
“They are not going to fly. That’s for sure. If they can fly, play with the national team and come straight back to training, they’ll fly.”
Brazil-Argentina showdown rearranged
Brazil had been due to play Argentina in Recife on March 30, in a meeting of the top two countries in South American qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The five-time world champions were also set to play Colombia in Barranquilla four days earlier.
Even if Brazil’s players received the all clear, Colombia’s Health Minister Fernando Ruiz pointed out that air travel between Colombia and Brazil is still suspended due to the latest wave of coronavirus infections.
“Right now, I think it’s difficult to authorise any flight leaving from Brazil and I don’t have any justification to authorise such a flight,” Ruiz told Blu Radio.
Paris Saint-Germain risked losing Neymar, Maquinhos and Angel Di Maria for a game against Ligue 1 leaders Lille had they joined up with their respective national teams.
French government regulations stipulate that anyone entering the country from outside Europe must self-isolate for seven days on arrival and present a negative Covid-19 test at the end of that period.
PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino conceded it was “a complicated matter” but called for a “fair and just agreement for everyone”.
“We have to find the best solution so the competitions remain as fair as possible, and so the players receive equal treatment regardless of the country where they play,” the Argentine said.
Some European nations have moved fixtures in order to try to avoid travel restrictions.
Portugal have announced they will play their “home” World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Turin, while Norway will face Turkey in Malaga.
-AFP
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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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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