The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CAF

  • CAF: Sports administrator wanted

    SIR: The order from the presidency directing the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to vote for the incumbent president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Isa Hayatou, against his main rival, Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar, has once again exposed the reason African football has remained backward in the world of sports compared with other continents.

    The NFF, led by Amaju Pinnick,  has been at loggerheads with the Minister of Sports in Nigeria, Solomon Dalung, over his preferred choice – the Madagascar candidate.  It took the Federal Government to hit the nail on the head on the choice of candidate for Nigeria in the forthcoming CAF election. The choice of Isa Hayatou, who has been president of CAF for over two decades, has also vindicated FIFA’s earlier stance that over-interference by government is really killing the game of football on the continent.

    Dalung, earlier this month, stated that “Nigeria’s vote for Hayatou is for the country’s interest.” I ask: what interest outside primordial sentiment? The only constant thing in life is change; and so far, Isa Hayatou has not really done enough to improve football in Africa after over 20 years in the saddle as CAF president.

    When FIFA became riddled with corruption, decisive  stakeholders in the world governing body of football came together and before they took a decision, Sepp Blatter, the then FIFA president, knowing the evidence against him was enormous, took a jump before he was pushed out as FIFA president.  Today, FIFA has been sanitised and cleansed with a new president, Gianni Infantino, a clearly competent professional bristling more evidently with the energy of positive ambition, rather than personality-promotion.

    FIFA is gradually regaining the trust of Football Federations across the globe and new changes, policies and decisions that will enhance the game of football across the globe are being introduced. That is one of the advantages of choosing a sports administrator over a football politician and Africa shouldn’t be an exception.

    Isa Hayatou has paid his dues, he has achieved everything achievable in African football, including hosting the first ever World Cup in Africa.  This is the time for him to take a bow and allow a younger person take over the leadership. We can’t continue to do same thing in the same way and expect different results. He should also consider his deteriorating health and age.

    That Cameroon is our sister country and has been helping Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram is not enough reason to choose a geriatric who has not contributed much to the development of sports in Africa but, rather, has sacrificed African football on the altar of corruption, nepotism, sentiment and favouritism.

    Nigeria is an important African country, a big brother country; and an injury to any African country is an injury to Nigeria. This is no time for sentiment; rather, in the interest of a developed and organised football administration system, what we need is a sea of reforms that can make African football match what we have in Europe, Asia and North/South America in terms of quality of players, hosting rights and the much needed publicity.

    In CAF, we need a career sports administrator, not a football politician; someone with the ability to initiate reforms and ideas that can put African football in the league of  advanced  continents in the money spinning world of football. With Isa Hayatou in charge, that dream will only remain a dream; it will take a leadership change to achieve the dream.

     

    • Joe Onwukeme
  • Hayatou faces stiff challenge

    Hayatou faces stiff challenge

    Confederation of African Football president Issa Hayatou will face a rare challenge on Thursday as he stands for an eighth term at the helm of the African game when CAF hold their Congress in the Ethiopian capital.

    Ahmad, a Madagascan government minister who uses a single name, will contest Thursday’s vote and is only the third challenger Hayatou has faced since he became CAF president in 1988.

    The other opponents — Armando Machado of Angola in 2000 and Ismail Bhamjee of Botswanain 2004 — were roundly beaten.

    However, Ahmad is the first to have received expressions of support from among CAF member countries, including the grouping of 14 southern African countries (COSAFA) and Nigeria.

    Hayatou and his opponent have waged a lively election campaign over the last two months, featuring an unusually high number of public pronouncements for a process that is traditionally played out behind closed doors.

    The 70-year-old Hayatou, who also serves as FIFA’s senior vice president and is from Cameroon, promises continuity while Ahmad says it is time for change.

    “Basically, what we all want is a change in leadership, in the system, and in how we manage the Confederation,” he said in an interview.

    “We live in a time of transformation. The majority of federation presidents have changed. “There are many more young people than before.”

    The Madagascar Football Federation president said he was confident of support, even though only COSAFA and Nigeria have so far gone public. “Others won’t say it publicly. I know that and I respect their position.”

    The election for the CAF president is followed by elections for seven of the 15 places on the organisation’s executive committee. Then there will be a tightly run contest for Africa’s seven places on the new-look FIFA Council, the all-powerful cabinet that runs the world game.

     

  • CAF Election:FG asks Pinnick to use discretion

    CAF Election:FG asks Pinnick to use discretion

     

    The coast is now clear for President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick to exercise his authority at the the forth coming Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) election billed for Addis Ababa Ethiopia on March 16.

    Pinnick like President of other Football Associations will be entitled to vote for who becomes the next CAF president, had set tongues wagging after he publicly declared that he will back President of Madagascar Football Association Ahmad Ahmad who is challenging incumbent President Issah Hayatou.  While some tongue lashed the former Delta FA boss for speaking his mind others insisted that the era of sitting on the fence are over.

    However rising from a meeting of the Football House in Abuja with the Hon Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung, decision was reached that Amaju should go and do the needful and most importantly his discretion to vote for a candidate that will help Nigeria. The 39th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF will see Hayatou who has been at the helm since 1988 lock horns with Ahmad.

    Ahmad, a member of the Caf Executive Committee, is currently in his third period of office with Madagascar.

    The 57-year-old believes he has what it takes to govern affairs of the game in the continent.

    Hayatou was re-elected unopposed during the last Caf presidential elections in 2013.

    The Cameroonian had previously stated this term would be his last until a change of regulations altered his stance.

    In 2015, Caf voted to change the statutes which previously stopped officials serving past the age of 70.

    This paved the way for Hayatou, who turned 70 last year, to stand in the election.

    The elections will take place in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa otherwise called City of Flowers as the organisation celebrates its 60th year of existence.

    Whoever wins the election will be limited to a maximum of three terms in office after Caf amended its rules last year.

    Only members of the organisation’s 15-man executive committee can contest the presidential election.

  • Wikki Tourists crash out of CAF competition

    Wikki Tourists crash out of 2017 CAF Confederation Cup competition, after a 1-0 home win in Bauchi, losing out on a 1-2 aggregate to RSLAF of Sierra Leone in the first round.

  • We’re ready to rumble with Senegal – Zimbabwe captain

    Zimbabwe captain Williard Katsande has issued a rallying cry to his Warriors team-mates and urged them to stand their ground against tournament favourites Senegal in a potentially explosive African Nations Cup showdown in Gabon today.

    The Zimbabweans face the highest ranked African nation on the Fifa rankings at the Stade de Franceville (9pm‚ SA time) in a mouthwatering Group B clash and Katsande told Times Media Digital from Gabon that they have done their homework on their more fancied opponents.

    ‘‘It is going to be difficult because they (Senegal) won (their opening match of the tournament) and they have confidence at the moment‚” the Kaizer Chiefs midfield strongman said.

    ‘‘But we going to prepare for them accordingly. Come Thursday we will be ready to rumble again.

    ‘‘We are going to work on our game plan based on the team‚ their strengths and weakness.”

    Senegal — perched at the summit of the continental rankings and at 33rd place on Fifa’s global list — will go into this simmering encounter with their tails up after beating Tunisia 2-0 in their opening match of the continental showpiece on Sunday.

    The star-studded Senegalese also have the added incentive of knowing that a victory over Zimbabwe would be enough to enable the Sadio Mane-inspired West Africans to become the first qualifiers for the quarterfinals in Gabon.

    Zimbabwe‚ on the other hand‚ have to pick themselves up after coming within eight minutes of beating Algeria 2-1 before eventually settling for a 2-2 draw in their opening game.

    Katsande said they have put the disappointment of letting Algeria off the hook and allowing Leicester City forward and CAF’s player of the year Riyad Mahrez to score the deflating equaliser behind them.

    ‘‘Obviously we were disappointed (after the 2-2 draw with Algeria) but at the same time we worked so hard in that game.

    ‘‘We told ourselves to take that one point will help going forward (because) no one gave us a chance (against Algeria.”

    News that Zimbabwe’s main striker Knowledge Musona will most likely miss the match will have made many of their fans nervous‚ given what the pacy forward brings to the table.

    The Belgium-based Musona retired early with a hamstring injury in the opening match against Algeria on Sunday and some reports claim that he will not recover in time to face Senegal.

    But Katsande refused to thrown in the towel and said he remained hopeful that the former Chiefs striker will pass a late fitness test and line up against the Senegalese.

    ‘‘The medical team are busy with him we will hear the outcome. We will wait for the doctor’s report.

    ‘‘But we need him (Musona) in our next encounter as we search for maximum points.”

    The Chiefs midfield strongman‚ who takes no prisoners on the pitch‚ said Southern Africa’s sole representatives in Gabon still believe that not only will they emerge from their group but they will reach the semifinals of the biennial event.

    He added that they have enough talent in their ranks to step up a gear on Thursday and go toe-to-toe with the Senegalese.

    ‘‘That is our main objective ……to go beyond the group stages and then we take it from there.

    ‘‘Don’t forget that we have quality which can upset any opposition. We need to get to semifinals and take it from there.” — TMG Digital

  • U-17 AFCON: CAF strips Madagascar of hosting right

    U-17 AFCON: CAF strips Madagascar of hosting right

    The Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee has withdrawn the hosting right for this year’s U-17 African Nations Cup from Madagascar.

    Madagascar was to stage the competition from April 2 to 16, AfricanFootball.com reports.

    According to an official statement, a new host nation for the cadet championship will be announced, but no reason was given for this decision.

    The biennial championship will produce four teams that will represent Africa at the FIFA U-17 World Cup slated for India later this year.

    The last U-17 AFCON was hosted by Niger Republic in 2015.

  • Hayatou to stand again for presidency

    Hayatou to stand again for presidency

    Issa Hayatou is seeking another four-year term as the Confederation of African Football’s president to extend his grip on a position he has held since 1988, the organisation said on Friday.
    Cameroonian Hayatou, 70, will face a rare challenge, however, after executive committee member Ahmad, from Madagascar, declared his candidacy for the election to be held at the Caf Congress in two months’ time.
    Caf last year brought in new rules limiting the presidency to just three four-year terms.
    The ruling, however, only applies since it was passed in September, meaning Hayatou could extend his tenure by 12 years.
    Hayatou, who is also the senior Fifa vice president, was elected unopposed at Caf’s Congress in Marrakech in 2013 and has only twice previously faced opposition, winning re-election easily on each occasion.
    The next election is in Addis Ababa on March 16.

  • Hayatou referred to prosecutors over abuse of office

    Hayatou referred to prosecutors over abuse of office

    Confederation of African Football president, Issa Hayatou, has been referred to Egyptian prosecutors for investigation for allegedly abusing his position.

    At issue is a deal awarding the broadcast rights to several African football tournaments to a media company, Lagardere Sports, the BBC reports.

    According to the Egyptian Competition Authority, Hayatou is suspected of not opening up the tender to free and fair competition as required by Egyptian law.

    CAF is based in Cairo so the authorities said it must follow their laws.

    The African football’s governing body had no comment to make, while Hayatou could not be reached.

    The 70-year-old is currently in Abuja, Nigeria, ahead of Thursday’s CAF annual awards.

    Hayatou was elected as CAF president in 1998 and is serving his seventh term in office.

    Lagardere is not the subject of the referral, but claimed the allegation is wholly unfounded.

  • 2016 CAF BEACH SOCCER: LOC, Lagos unveil plan

    2016 CAF BEACH SOCCER: LOC, Lagos unveil plan

    •As tourney kicks off Dec. 13-18

    All logistics have been put in place as the Lagos State in conjunction with the Nigeria Football Federation unveil plans for successful hosting of the African Beach Soccer championship  slated for  December 13 to 18 at Eko Atlantic Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    In the same vein, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde who represented Governor Akinwunmi Ambode explained the reason they partnered with NFF.

    “Governor Ambode has recognised two components that can put Lagos State on the World map. Art, culture, tourism and entertainment on one hand, Sports on the other hand this is the reason he said he will drive city as a whole, you will see what he has been doing in the last six months that sports and entertainment has been paramount in this activities. It will be an honour to be partnering the Local Organising Committee of the NFF to make the CAF Beach Soccer competition a reality”

    Meanwhile, the Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Deji Tinubu  promised fans fanfare. Other dignitaries presented at the event include NFF first Vice President and Chairman Beach Soccer LOC, Seyi Akinwunmi, and the president of Ghana Football Association and the Chairman LOC CAF Beach Soccer.

    Host Nigeria will play second game of the day against Egypt as Ghana versus Cote d’Ivoire game opened the on Tuesday December 13.

  • CAF A License applicants couldn’t write their names or read

    CAF A License applicants couldn’t write their names or read

    CAF instructor James Peter has shed more light on how our coaches fared in the recently concluded CAF A license coaching course in Abuja. According to him, some coaches failed the course because they didn’t know how to read and write (some even their names ).
    The veteran coach stressed that some of the participants returned plain sheets. He noted further that some of the questions during the exams were football related but wondered why a coach couldn’t answer them.