Governing Bodies
NFF rolls out new qualification criteria for match commissioners
The Match Commissioners’ Appointment Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has rolled out new criteria for interested football stakeholders to meet in order to be considered for the role of match commissioners in Nigeria’s domestic game.
Rising from its inauguration and inaugural meeting in the Federal Capital, Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman of the NFF Match Commissioners’ Appointment Committee, Alhaji Babagana Kalli announced that henceforth, no individual above the age of 65 or below the age of 30 would be considered for the role.
“In addition, we have now expunged the names of all retired referees from the list of match commissioners. Means of identification would now be by international passport, national identity card of driver’s license, and computer literacy is now a key requirement for anyone who wishes to be considered for the role of match commissioner in Nigeria.”
Earlier, at the inauguration, First Vice President of the NFF, Barr. Seyi Akinwunmi, who stood in for the NFF President, charged the committee to develop workable criteria to drastically reduce the number of match commissioners in the country, as the NFF considered the present number bogus and impracticable considering the number of matches played over a season.
Akinwunmi reiterated that the roles of the referee and the match commissioner are the most crucial in the general management of a football game, and that administrators must regularly seek to improve the policies and methods through which the best hands must emerge, fully prepared, for both roles. “We must also select the very best hands for these important roles without any form of primordial sentiments.”
Also present at the inauguration were the Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria Football, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau and the Chairman of Referees Committee, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa.
Alhaji Ganiyu Majekodunmi, another Member of the NFF Executive Committee, is the vice chairman of the Match Commissioners Appointment Committee, with Timothy Henman Magaji, Bayo Olanlege, Sunday Longbap, Yabagi Baba, Aminu Manmaga, Sabo Abdullahi Dutse, Greg Abang Obuh, Kenneth Nwamuocha, Maurice Mbam and Donald Mbaezue as members. The secretary is Danlami Alanana.
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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