Governing Bodies
NPFL Season 2023 first hammer falls on Bayelsa, El-Kanemi
The Interim Management Committee (IMC) has acted swiftly in response to the assault on an Assistant Referee at the Samson Siasia Stadium in Yenegoa by ordering a deduction of three points and three goals from Bayelsa United.
The sanction followed a review of the official match report of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) MatchDay 5 fixture between Bayelsa United and Doma FC on Wednesday, February 1.
In a separate development, the IMC also ordered an indefinite closure to fans of the Maiduguri Township Stadium for El-Kanemi Warriors home fixtures pending investigation into reported security breaches in the course of their match against Bendel Insurance midweek.
In the memo conveying Bayelsa United sanctions, the club was charged for breaches of Rule B8:21, C11 and B13:52.
For failure to provide adequate security for match officials during and after the match, contrary to Rule B8:21, Bayelsa United was fined the sum of ₦1million and another ₦500,000 for failure to ensure the restriction of access by unauthorized persons to all restricted areas.
The IMC directed the deducting of three points and three goals from the accumulated points/goals of Bayelsa United, for the assault on a match official and ordered the club to pay a fine of ₦250,000, being compensatory payment to the assaulted Assistant Referee 2, Ojeleye Ebenezer.
The club has also been ordered to ensure the immediate prosecution of one Mr. Joseph Zidougha (a.k.a One Man Riot) for carrying out the assault on a match official and furnish the Legal and Compliance Department of the NPFL with Verifiable evidence of the prosecution.
While the said Joseph Zidougha has been banned for a period of one year from all NPFL-related activities, the
Samson Siasia Stadium has been closed indefinitely to fans.
The IMC directed that the stadium closure shall be in place “until adequate and verifiable security measures including written guarantees to the NPFL to prosecute any person found to create disturbances in the course of your home matches are put in place”.
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The club however retains the option within 48 hours in accordance with Rule C26, to submit to the decision or elect to appear before a Disciplinary Panel. The fines are to be paid within seven working days.
In the case of El-Kanemi Warriors, the attention of the club management was drawn to the state of the playing pitch and security breach investigation.
Reminding the club of an earlier correspondence on an ongoing review of the provisional approval granted it for the El-Kanemi Stadium and advice therein to restrict the use of the stadium to only football activities, the IMC urged the club to prepare to relocate to an alternate ground as recent assessment of the playing pitch shows that ithe present condition is still far from ideal
“You are therefore expected to take more expedient steps to improve the quality of the playing pitch.
“You are further advised to notify the league secretariat of your preferred alternate ground in the interim, to act as a safeguard, in the event that you are unable to carryout adequate improvement to the playing pitch of the El-Kanemi Stadium within stipulated time”, the IMC wrote in the memo to the club.
On the alleged security breach, the IMC informed El-Kanemi that it has commenced investigation into reports of “your most recent home game, and pending the outcome of the investigation, you are hereby ordered to play your future home games strictly under closed doors”
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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