Governing Bodies
Hear the former FIFA President who awarded the 2022 World Cup: “The choice of Qatar was a big mistake” -Blatter
Former FIFA president Josep Blatter considered that the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar “was a big mistake”.
According to Spanish publication, AS, the former FIFA boss under whose regime the 2022 World Cup was awarded turned to blame the former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy as the person who influenced FIFA members to vote for Qatar.
There is great influence of Qatar in French football as even the PSG is owned by a Qatar business man.
Blatter was reported to have remarked that Nicolas Sarkozy was the one who intervened for the emirate to achieve that competition.
“He was disappointed by the victory of Qatar,” Blatter said in an interview published this Sunday in the online edition of the French daily Le Monde. Blatter, who was forced to resign on June 2, 2015 by a corruption scandal, four days after being re-elected as FIFA president, believes that Sarkozy convinced then-UEFA president Michel Platini to support him.
Qatar and not the United States, as they had agreed up to that point. To this was added that on that occasion two World Cups were attributed to a blow, that of 2018, which fell on Russia – which was also chosen by Spain and Portugal in a joint candidacy – and that of 2022, for which the favourite was the United States. but Qatar finally stayed.
Blatter pointed out that there were many questions about the Qatari World Cup, such as the size of the country or the dates on which the competition should be held, since it is too hot in summer.
“I thought that so much danger would not jeopardize our agreement in principle to attribute the two World Cups to Russia and the United States,” he said.
But Sarkozy’s intervention, he added, “changed everything,” according to the former FIFA president, who does not rule out that “money circulated” throughout that operation, without directly accusing anyone.
“In decisions as important as the attribution of a World Cup it is very possible that the money circulates and that someone puts it in his pocket,” said Blatter, that it considered that the investigation opened by FIFA to detect it was not “sufficiently strict”.
“Without Sarkozy’s last-minute intervention on Platini, Qatar would never have had the World Cup,” said the former FIFA president, who linked this support to the purchase of PSG by a sovereign wealth fund of the emirate and to “major economic activities between Qatar and France “.
“It is the first time that a political intervention changes a great decision in football,” he said, while reiterating that “on the social and climatic level it was a great mistake to give the World Cup to Qatar.”
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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