FIFA has appointed a new Secretary General. He is Mattias Grafström. His appointment was sequel to his nomination on an ad interim basis in October 2023. The Sweden/Netherlands national now takes over from Fatma Samoura who stepped down last year.

“I am humbled and deeply honoured to have been appointed FIFA Secretary General and I would like to thank the FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, the Confederation Presidents, the Vice-Presidents and the members of FIFA Council for having trusted me to serve football in such an important position,” said Secretary General Mattias Grafström.

“Football is my passion since I was born. I started playing it as a child and worked in football all my life at all different levels. There are therefore no words to express my feelings as I accept with pride and with a great sense of responsibility, the biggest challenge of my professional life. Together with the FIFA team, I will of course dedicate myself more than ever to the service of our beautiful game of football, FIFA and its 211 Member Associations.”

A new women’ football tournament is in the offing as FIFA has muted the idea of a 16-team FIFA Women’s World Cup. The first edition is projected to hold in January-February 2026. This is one of the landmark decision of the FIFA Council while approving the Women’s International Match Calendar 2026-2029. The meeting of the FIFA Council is part of the 74^th FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand.

The approved FIFA Calendar for women’s football runs thus:

FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup 2025™: The first edition of the event will take place in the Philippines.

FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ Morocco 2025-2029: The slot allocation will be as follows: AFC: 4; CAF: 5; Concacaf: 4; CONMEBOL: 4; OFC: 2; UEFA: 5.

FIFA U-17 World Cup™ Qatar 2025-2029: The slot allocation was confirmed as follows: AFC: 9; CAF: 10; Concacaf: 8; CONMEBOL: 7; OFC: 3; UEFA 11.

FIFA Arab Cup: At the request of the Qatar Football Association, Qatar will host the tournament in 2025, 2029 and 2033, which will follow the principle of an invitational competition not included in the International Match Calendar.

Defending champions Nigeria gear up for a daunting task as they head into WAFU B U17 AFCON qualifying tournament that starts in Ghana on Wednesday.

Hosts Ghana kick-off the competition as they headline Group A where they are joined by tough contenders Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.

The Black Starlets, buoyed by home support, aim to showcase their prowess and secure a berth in the U17 AFCON finals.

As the tournament kicks off on Wednesday, all eyes will be on the opening clash between hosts Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire at the Legon Stadium in Accra.

Led by former international star Laryea Kingston, Ghana seeks to set the tone for a successful campaign on home soil.

Drawn in Group B alongside formidable opponents Burkina Faso, Togo, and Niger, title holders Nigeria face a stern test to retain their crown.

The Golden Eaglets clinched the WAFU B U17 AFCON title in 2022 after a hard-fought victory over Burkina Faso in the regional final.

However, their journey to defend their title won’t be easy, with familiar rivals Togo and Niger also standing in their path.

With Burkina Faso boasting a strong performance in the last  U17 Africa Cup of Nations, finishing third, anticipation is high for thrilling encounters in Group B.

Nigeria will need to bring their A-game to navigate through this challenging group and secure a spot in next year’s U17 AFCON.

Thursday’s fixtures will see Burkina Faso locking horns with Nigeria, while Togo battle Niger in Group B encounters.

With a spot in the U17 AFCON at stake, the WAFU B qualifying tournament promises excitement and drama as teams vie for supremacy from 15th to 28th May.

Groups:

Group A: Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Benin

Group B: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo, Niger.

CAF