Governing Bodies
UK and Ireland abandon 2030 World Cup bid to focus on Euro 2028
Football chiefs from the UK and Ireland announced on Monday (Feb 7) they had decided not to bid to stage the 2030 World Cup and would instead focus on a joint campaign to host Euro 2028.
The football associations of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have concluded that the European Championship represents a better option than the World Cup after a feasibility study, which was backed by UK government money.
“The five associations have decided to focus solely on an official bid to host Euro 2028 and have agreed not to bid for the 2030 World Cup,” they said in a statement.
“Hosting a Euro offers a similar return on investment, with the European tournament carrying a far lower delivery cost and the potential of the benefits being realised sooner.”
English Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said there was “uncertainty” over future World Cups, in light of world governing body FIFA’s proposal to stage the tournament every two years.
He said the decision to focus on Euro 2028 was not based on any communication from European governing body Uefa that it would support a joint Spain-Portugal bid for 2030 over the UK-Ireland option.
Bullingham believes the five-nation Euro bid would be viewed favourably, as Uefa seeks to rebuild its finances following the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We believe we can put together an incredibly strong tournament in many ways,” he said.
“And we also know we can deliver a really strong commercial return to Uefa and we feel that puts us in a strong position.”
A UK government statement said: “We remain passionate about bringing a World Cup to the UK and Ireland when the time is right.
“Meanwhile, the Uefa European Championships are one of the biggest global sporting events. Hosting the full tournament would be an exciting opportunity, bringing significant benefits to the whole of the UK and Ireland.” Russia and Turkey are also reportedly in the running for Euro 2028.
The World Cup bid was previously criticised as an “expensive vanity project” by Julian Knight, the lawmaker who chairs the UK parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, after the failed solo attempts by England to stage the 2006 and 2018 World Cups.
He welcomed the switch in focus on Monday but added: “It’s unacceptable that £2.8 million (S$5.09 million) in taxpayer money was wasted on a pipe dream that was clearly doomed from the start.”
“Football in the UK needs to sort out its reputation at home before we can go after the biggest tournament.”
-AFP
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)
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
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
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- OBITUARY1 week ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- Nigerian Football5 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu
- Nigerian Football1 week ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- feature1 week ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Badminton5 days ago
It’s Nigeria again as Eniola Bolaji wins the 2024 Africa Women in Badminton Award
- CAF Champions League5 days ago
Al Ahly, Sundowns brace for Cairo showdown with final spot on the line