Governing Bodies
GUSAU, KALLI, UCHEGBULAM, AZEEZ STILL SHOCKED AT OKENWA’S DEATH
Three days after he passed on after a battle with leukemia, members of the board of Nigeria Football Federation and other prominent figures in the Nigeria football firmament are yet to come to terms with the demise of Member of NFF Board and Chairman of the Nigeria National League, Hon. Chidi Ofo Okenwa.
Chairman of Chairmen of Nigeria football and Member, NFF Executive Committee, Ibrahim Musa Gusau said on Friday that he was still lost for words:
“I am still to recover from the shock. That Chidi Okenwa is dead? I knew he was sick and at the last board meeting we held via video conferencing.
“I noticed it and I told him after the meeting that he should return to hospital. We are all shocked that the meeting turned out to be his last with the board. Very sad.”
Another member of the NFF Executive, Babagana Kalli said: “It is very, very sad. Chidi was a very honest and energetic person. He was a good friend and committed soldier of Nigeria football. He was friendly to everyone. We can only pray to God to grant his soul eternal rest.”
Emmanuel Ibah, another member of the NFF Executive, said: “I am still devastated. We were very close and it is still difficult for me to come to terms with his death. I am grieving intensely.”
Further to his earlier comments on Wednesday, former NFF 1st Vice President and Chairman of Imo State Football Association, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, added:
“I am yet to recover from the news of his death. Chidi Okenwa was so well grounded in association football rules.
“Since 2005, he hooked with me and no week passed without Chidi engaging me with association football rules for clarification and understanding. He was most enthusiastic.
“It was the same way I also hooked up to the late Pa John Ojidoh in 1994 to know about our Statutes. Chidi learnt very fast and I have always been proud of him. ”
President of the Nigeria Referees Association, Tade Azeez, said: “It is not easily believable that Chidi is dead. We will surely miss him. He was never afraid of standing up to challenges. He had that rare gusto to confront challenges and deal with them.”
Chief Operating Officer of the League Management Company, Salihu Abubakar, said: “I am still in mourning. Chidi was a reservoir of knowledge and could reel out the Statutes, rules and other football conventions with ease. His death is a great loss to Nigeria football.”
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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