Governing Bodies
Coach of eliminated Cote d’Ivoire, Patrice Beaumelle makes case for increment of African teams in World Cup
Cote d’Ivoire coach Patrice Beaumelle says world governing body Fifa is “killing African football” by only allowing the continent five places at the World Cup.
Beaumelle’s Elephants can no longer reach the 2022 tournament in Qatar after losing 1-0 in Cameroon on Tuesday and finishing second in their group.
Africa’s 54 participants in qualifying are whittled down to just five places at the 32-team tournament, while Europe has 13 guaranteed places from 55 competitors and South America four from 10.
“It is a shame because strong teams like mine will stay at home,” Frenchman Beaumelle said.
“I have been in Africa since 2008 and I have participated in many World Cup qualifiers. I want to speak to Fifa because when you see that we have 54 federations and only five can go to a World Cup it is a disaster.
“I am not criticising other continents. But they (Fifa) are killing African football.
“It is a shame to have big players who are the pride of European championships and now they will not go to a World Cup.”
However, the World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams from 2026, when the tournament will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Like all the other continental confederations Africa will be given extra places at the expanded tournament.
Africa is expected to have nine guaranteed spots, while an inter-continental play-off tournament will decide the final two places.
Meanwhile, Fifa head of global development Arsene Wenger has proposed holding the World Cup every two years to boost participation.
African sides ‘exhausted’ by qualifying
Cote d’Ivoire competed in three consecutive World Cups from 2006 to 2014, but have now missed out on back-to-back tournaments.
South Africa, qualifiers in 1998 and 2002 and then hosts in 2010, are also set to be missing in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Cameroon and the other nine group winners will now face play-offs next March to decide Africa’s five representatives.
“Cameroon qualified to the play-off, but it is not guaranteed [to go] to the World Cup,” Beaumelle added.
“African teams are exhausted before they arrive at a World Cup because those qualifiers are exhausting us.
“Five countries from 54 is not even 9%. It is a shame. Even if my team had won I would still speak out about this situation.”
Africa is still awaiting its first-ever semi-finalist at the World Cup, after Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010) were all knocked out in the last eight.
-BBC
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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