Governing Bodies
Challenges mount for World Cup 2026 co-hosts Mexico
Fan violence, homophobic chanting and signs of criminal gangs infiltrating the stands — challenges are stacking up for Mexican football authorities four years before they co-host the World Cup.
The football-mad nation was shocked by a mass brawl between rival spectators last weekend in the central city of Queretaro that left 26 people injured and sent families and children running to safety.
The fight broke out just after the hour mark of the March 5 game between top-division team Queretaro and defending champions Atlas, leading to 17 arrests.
Experts said that the clashes bore some of the hallmarks of gang violence that permeates Mexico and suggested there were links between cartels and organized fan groups known as “barras.”
“This level of violence reveals an invisible and silent penetration of criminal groups,” said Hugo Sanchez Gudino, professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
“Generally when two barras in Mexico have rivalries and confront each other, it’s like any street fight, but what happened in Queretaro was more violent with certain traits of drug trafficking,” he told AFP.
When organized crime groups clash they sometimes strip their enemies of their clothing, which was also seen in Saturday’s brawl, Sanchez Gudino said.
“That is an indication that these criminal groups are in those barras,” he added.
Mexico has been trapped in a spiral of cartel-related violence since 2006 when the government launched a controversial anti-drug military operation.
There have been more than 340,000 murders since then, most of them blamed on fighting between criminals, according to official figures.
– ‘Unacceptable’ violence –
In response to the stadium brawl, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) ordered Queretaro to play home matches without spectators for a year and told its owners to sell the franchise.
The club’s directors will be banned from the league for five years and the club will be fined 1.5 million pesos (about $70,000).
Queretaro’s barras were banned from home games for three years and from away matches for one year.
Those of Atlas were barred from away games for six months, disappointing some football figures who called for a permanent ban of the hardcore fan groups from stadiums.
World football’s governing body FIFA hit out at the “unacceptable and intolerable” violence.
But FMF president Yon de Luisa said he was confident that FIFA would allow Mexico to jointly host the 2026 World Cup along with the United States and Canada.
Although FIFA and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football expressed concern at the brawl, there was no talk of Mexico losing its role as co-host, he said.
According to Sanchez Gudino, Mexico is one of the countries that generates the most money during World Cups, so such a harsh punishment would be “an own goal for FIFA.”
An estimated 43,000 Mexicans attended the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 80,000 are expected to go to Qatar this year.
Mexico, Canada and the United States are forecast to generate net gains of $3-4 billion from tickets, tourism, advertising and commerce linked to the World Cup, according to US-based Boston Consulting Group.
Mindful of the high stakes, Mexican football authorities are also trying to stamp out a homophobic chant frequently shouted at opposing goalkeepers when they take a kick.
Mexico has been repeatedly sanctioned over the years for fans shouting the anti-gay slur.
The FMF last month introduced a system of online ticket registration and QR codes for attendees during World Cup qualifiers.
It also boosted stadium security to identify anyone using the homophobic chant, and if caught the offenders face a five-year ban from stadiums.
-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)
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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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