Governing Bodies
NFF expands marketing base, signs partnership agreement with ‘Baba Ijebu’

The tap of meaningful and beneficial relationship between the Nigeria Football Federation and Corporate Nigeria continues unabated with the NFF and Premier Lotto Limited announcing on Sunday that the latter, popularly known and addressed as Baba Ijebu, will formally seal agreement as the Official Bet Sponsor of the National Teams on Monday, 13th September 2021.
The partnership officially began on 1st September 2021 and will run for four years.
In the past couple of weeks, the NFF administration under the leadership of its President and Member of the FIFA Council, Amaju Melvin Pinnick has sealed immaculate partnership deals with leading airline, Air Peace as the Official Airline of Nigerian National Teams, and with MTN as the Official Communications Partner of the Super Eagles and the National Teams.
Monday’s event that officially brings Premier Lotto into the mix of NFF’s VIP bouquet of partners and sponsors will hold at the Banquet Hall of Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
President of NFF, Pinnick said on Sunday: “We are very excited to finally seal this partnership with Premier Lotto. We are happy with what they are doing and the processes and checks they have put in place to ensure integrity, credibility, diligence and sustainability.
“We did our due diligence and Premier Lotto came out smelling like roses. It is a partnership that we believe will last for a long time.”
Premier Lotto, incorporated 20 years ago, is a gaming company founded and owned by Chief Kessington Adebukunola Adebutu (CON), and has a reputation for speedy payment of wins and all-round credibility for the business it does.
It is the first time in the history of Nigeria Football that a stream of top –notch players in Corporate Nigeria has shown tremendous confidence in the administration of the game to decide to ride with football full-throttle.
This has not happened in abeyance. It has been the outcome of seamless qualifications of the Super Eagles and the National Teams for major international championships and tournaments – the latest being the Super Eagles’ ferocious start to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification series with six maximum points from two matches and all but set to reach the last qualifying round scheduled for March 2022.
Governing Bodies
CAF President Dr Motsepe Announces Five Vice Presidents

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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Governing Bodies
Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

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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