By Andrew Warshaw
August 10 – In the latest example of a government controlling its national FA, Sierra Leone’s sports ministry has given the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) until August 14 to hold an ordinary congress to pave the way for elections now that the four-year mandate of SLFA boss Isha Johansen has expired.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – After maintaining a discreet silence while his country’s credentials for hosting the 2019 African Nations Cup were constantly called into question, former African football chief Issa Hayatou has lashed out at comments made by his successor, Ahmad Ahmad, over Cameroon’s readiness to stage an expanded 24-team event.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 8 – Cameroon’s bid to cling on to hosting the 2019 African Cup of Nations, which has come under intense scrutiny since the decision to expand the finals to 24 teams, has suffered a further blow with the president of African football himself questioning the country’s credentials.
By Paul Nicholson
August 8 – Rochell Woodson, the Liberian FA executive committee member who was removed from her position at the LFA Congress in December 2016 while she was on maternity leave, has won her appeal against the decision at the Court for Arbitration of Sport (CAS).
August 8 – Members of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA), who are also referred to as football stakeholders, are demanding an emergency extraordinary congress within three days’ time amid the chaos and confusion engulfing the country’s warring footballing factions.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 7 – The bitter divisions within Sierra Leone football have taken an intriguing twist with FIFA giving Isha Johansen the green light to remain as interim federation president even though her mandate has expired.
By Paul Nicholson
August 4 – Liberia’s national team coaches have been unpaid for eight months, while its women’s football co-ordinator has not been paid for a year. This is despite FIFA having sent Liberia millions in grant money and FIFA having been repeatedly asked to conduct a forensic audit into the activities of controversial Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured) and the distribution of FIFA cash.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 3 – After years of bitter feuding and infighting, the war of words between Sierra Leone football chief Isha Johansen and her opponents has been stepped up – if that were possible – just as her highly controversial four-year term of office was due to expire today.
August 1 – Whilst speculation intensifies over Cameroon’s ability to stage the 2019 African Cup of Nations without co-hosting, the Ivory Coast says it intends to go it alone for the 2021 finals.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – One week after the overhaul of the African Cup of Nations, debate continues to rage over the wisdom, or otherwise, in expanding the competition to 24 teams and moving it to June.
July 31 – Two fans died and several were injured in a domestic South African pre-season friendly at the weekend at the stadium that hosted the 2010 World Cup final.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 28 – Cameroon have again come out fighting over suggestions they will be unable to stage the African Cup of Nations in 2019 when the tournament is expanded to 24 teams.
July 15 – More African federations have expressed reservations about the speed with which the Continent’s showpiece tournament is being overhauled.
July 21 – The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has reacted swiftly to accusations that money from Puma’s kit deal has not been accounted for through the federation’s accounts, saying that the reports are “maliciously false, calculated to cause damage to the reputation of the GFA and (GFA president) Mr Nyantakyi.”
July 21 – African football chiefs have rubber-stamped the biggest ever overhaul to the Continent’s showpiece competition by agreeing to switch the African Nations Cup from its traditional January date to June and expand the finals to 24 teams – starting with the next edition in 2019 in Cameroon.