Governing Bodies
World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff: FIFA makes changes to match officials
World football –ruling body, FIFA has effected minor changes in the list of match officials for this month’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoff showdown between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the Black Stars of Ghana.
Both accomplished arch-rivals tango in a two-leg fixture that will determine who picks one of Africa’s five slots at this year’s FIFA World Cup finals, first in Cape Coast on Friday, 25th March and then in Abuja on Tuesday, 29th March.
In a fresh appointment sheet sent to the Nigeria Football Federation, Moroccans Rédouane Jiyed (referee), Lahsen Azgaou (assistant referee 1), Mostafa Akarkad (assistant referee 2) and Samir Guezzaz (fourth official) are retained for the first leg duel in Cape Coast, but Mandu Humphrey of Uganda has now replaced South African David Junse Van Vuuren as security officer.
Bernie Raymond Blom from The Netherlands will be the VAR official, to be assisted by compatriot Rob Dieperink while Athanse Nkubito from Rwanda will be the referee assessor. Gregorio Badupa from Guinea-Bissau will serve as match commissioner and Victor Lawrence Lual from South Sudan will be the general coordinator.
For the return leg in Abuja, FIFA has replaced former FIFA referee Essam Abdelfattah Abdelhamid who was to serve as referee assessor. His place will now be taken by Senegalese Badara Diatta, another former FIFA referee.
Sadok Selmi (Tunisian; referee); Khalil Hassani (Tunisia; assistant referee 1); Attia Amsaaed (Libyan; assistant referee 2) and Haythem Guirat (Tunisian; fourth official) are retained, as well as Frenchmen Jérôme Brisard (VAR) and Willy Louis Delajod (assistant VAR); Prince Kai Saquee (Sierra Leonean; match commissioner) and Kabelo Bosilong (South African; general coordinator).
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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