Africa Archives - Page 90 of 113 - Inside World Football

Nigerian chaos as now Pinnick is stripped of presidency but refuses to go

Amaju Pinnick

By Mark Baber
December 5 – The day after members of the Nigerian Football Federation Electoral Appeals Committee (NFF) broke ranks with their own chairmen to issue “decisions” purportedly upholding the legitimacy of the disputed September 30 elections which produced the current Amaju Pinnick-led (pictured) executive, the committee chairman, Okechukwu Ajunwa, has ruled that those same elections are nullified and Amaju Pinnick should cease to parade himself as NFF president.

Africa

Nigerian chaos as NFF says all appeals quashed, but no-one tells chairman

By Mark Baber
December 4 – Hopes the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Electoral Appeals’ Committee would return football in the country to at least a semblance of rational rule-based administration were dashed on Wednesday as members of the committee broke ranks with their Chairman, Barrister Okey Ajunwa, failing to publish a report but signing a press statement “deciding” to dismiss all appeals against the highly disputed elections of September 30 which brought the current leadership of the NFF to power.

Africa

AFCON draw turns focus back on to CAF’s January showpiece

AFCON draw

December 4 – After months of turmoil and tension surrounding the venue for January’s Africa Cup of Nations, the tournament has finally got down to the real business of the draw, throwing up a juicy group of death.

Africa

Tensions over expansion rise between Kenyan FA and Premier League

Kenyan Premier League

By Mark Baber
November 27 – Tensions between the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and Kenyan Premier League (KPL) are escalating over the expansion of the country’s top league from 16 to 18 teams, with the FKF insisting clubs register directly with them before December 15 or face being replaced.

Africa

Guinea qualify for AFCON 2015, but now face battle against discrimination

Guinea

November 21 – Guinea, one of the three West African countries wracked by the Ebola epidemic, have overcome all the odds to qualify for the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations – but now have to face an awkward few weeks over fears of spreading the virus.

Africa

Nigerian FA chief invokes God, admits bungling, and runs into ‘time’ trouble

Amaju Pinnick

By Mark Baber
November 20 – As the Nigeria national team fails to qualify for the African Nations Cup, the countries’ top football administrator is turned to quoting scripture, claiming the failure is a blessing in disguise whilst the crisis over the legitimacy of the ruling body descends into new levels of farce.

Africa

Kenya examines Premier League expansion and season dates

Kenyan Premier League

By Mark Baber
November 18 – The Kenya Football Federation (FKF) is considering increasing the number of clubs in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) from 16 to 18 and whether or not to move from the current February to November format to an August to May season.

Africa

Somali teams put anarchy behind them and recruit foreign players for new season

Somali league

By Mark Baber
November 17 – A number of foreign footballers signing up to play for Somali sides before the start of the new championship which kicks off on December 19 is being hailed as a significant indicator of the game’s progress in the war-torn country.

Africa

Hayatou promises two tournament ban for Morocco

Issa Hayatou7

By Andrew Warshaw
November 17 – Already thrown out of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations for refusing to host the event because of fears over the threat of the Ebola virus, Morocco face an even heavier punishment by being expelled from the subsequent tournament as well.

Africa

Equatorial Guinea step up to save the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

AFCON trophy

By Mark Baber
November 14 – Equatorial Guinea has stepped in to save the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, following a meeting between Issa Hayatou, President of the African Football Confederation (CAF) and Equatorial Guinea’s President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

Africa

Nigeria: Appeals Committee winds up whilst Senate passes new bill

By Mark Baber
November 14 – There were major developments in the Nigerian football governance crisis on Thursday as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Appeals Committee completed its hearings into the validity of the September 30 Executive Committee elections whilst the Nigerian government passed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Bill 2014 in an apparent attempt to bring sanity to football administration in the country.

Africa

South Africa opens probe into tenders for 2010 construction contracts

South Africa 2010

November 14 – More than four years after staging the 2010 World Cup, several of South Africa’s top construction firms have been accused of colluding over tenders in the run-up to the tournament.

Africa

Hayatou insists AFCON show must go on, without Morocco

Issa Hayatou7

By Andrew Warshaw
November 13 – African football chief Issa Hayatou says acceding to Morocco’s request to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations would have been “to sign our death warrant” as yet another country added to the crisis by saying it couldn’t afford to step in and stage the event.

Africa

Morocco is latest Ebola casualty as CAF expels them from AFCON 2015

Issa Hayatou7

By Andrew Warshaw
November 11 – As widely anticipated, Morocco has been expelled from the forthcoming African Cup of Nations after refusing to host the competition on schedule due to fears over the spread of Ebola. Morocco had repeatedly asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to delay or postpone the three-week competition that is due to kick off in January fearing that fans and players might spread the virus even though the three west African nations devastated by Ebola are unlikely to qualify.

Africa

Appeals Committee holds future of Nigerian football in its hands

nigerian football

By Mark Baber
November 11 – The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Appeals Committee meeting being held today and tomorrow (Tuesday and Wednesday) marks a new crossroads in the power struggle at the summit of Nigerian football. The faction currently exercising executive power will be looking to see the disputed September 30 elections, which brought them to power, given a clean bill of health, whilst the Chris Giwa faction (who did not participate in the elections) and the losing candidates will be hoping the committee shows independence from the current leadership and orders a rerun of the elections on neutral territory.