FIFA ban Zimbabwe referees chief Zhoya for sexual harassment
September 2 – A former Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) official has been banned for five years by FIFA and fined CHF20,000 for sexually harassing three female referees.
Africa
Morocco go local with Walid Regragui recruited to lead Qatar 2022 campaign
September 1 – Former Moroccan international Walid Regragui has been appointed head coach of the national side just three months before the World Cup.
Lamin Kabba Bajo holds on to Gambian FA presidency
August 31 – Lamin Kabba Bajo has been re-elected to lead Gambian football after defeating Sadibou Kamaso in the presidential run-off in the Gambia Football Federation (GFF).
Pinnick says he will not run for third term as Nigerian federation president
August 17 – The embattled president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Amaju Pinnick – one of the most colourful and controversial figures in African football – has announced he will not seek re-election for a third term in office.
SAFA pay women’s win bonuses but sports ministry’s money missing
August 15 – Danny Jordaan and the South Africa Football Association (SAFA) have confirmed that newly crowned African women’s champions Banyana Banyana have received a bonus of $24,500.
Halilhodzic’s ignominious hat-trick leaves Morocco hunting for new coach before Qatar 2022
August 12 – Morocco have sacked national team coach Vahid Halilhodzic three months before the World Cup in Qatar – the third time the Bosnian has just missed out on football’s showpiece event.
Motsepe spins truth of removal of Zambian reform proposal from CAF Congress agenda
August 11 – CAF president Patrice Motsepe has claimed that the Zambian FA withdrew a proposal to restructure the confederation’s executive committee and reduce operational costs after the reform plans did not make the agenda at the general assembly in Arusha, Tanzania.
Morocco’s successful Wafcon hosting earn them a repeat performance for 2024
August 11 – Morocco will host the Women’s Africa Cup for a second consecutive time in 2024 following a decision by the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
African Super League’s big launch falls flat with no teams, no money and no clear direction
By Samindra Kunti
August 10 – The African Super League has been launched – well, almost. CAF president Patrice Motsepe offered few details at a ‘soft launch’ of the new competition but repeatedly failed to address the elephant in the room: with CAF on the verge of bankruptcy, how will the Super League be financed ahead of its supposed kick off in August 2023.
Motsepe tells Infantino and CAF Congress that all of Africa will be voting for him
August 10 – Delivering a public relations boost to Gianni Infantino’s re-election expectations, Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has vowed that all of the continent’s 54 votes will go to the incumbent in FIFA’s presidential elections next year.
Gambia’s Kaba Bajo takes lead at African sub-region Wafu
August 9 – On the eve of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) general assembly in Tanzania, Gambia’s Lamin Kaba Bajo has been elected as the president of the Wafu A.
CAF Super League plan slammed by players’ union as ‘unworkable’ and ‘ill-conceived’
By Paul Nicholson
August 8 – This Wednesday club-owning CAF president Patrice Motsepe is due to unveil plans for an African Super League, to launch in August 2023, with prize money of $100 million.
CAF calls on UEFA to discipline Napoli’s De Laurentiis over comments on signing African players
August 8 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have condemned the comments of Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis (pictured) over the signing of African players and has asked UEFA to open a disciplinary investigation against him.
Napoli’s de Laurentiis says club will stop signing Africans unless they turn back on AFCON
August 3 – The controversial and notoriously outspoken president of Italian top-flight club Napoli, Aurelio de Laurentiis, has hit out at the timing of the African Cup of Nations and says the club will stop signing any more African players unless they agree not to play in the tournament.
FIFA’s African apparatchiks keep CAF reform proposal from being circulated to MAs
By Paul Nicholson
August 3 – A reform proposal submitted by the Zambian FA for the restructuring of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee to make it both more representative of Africa’s nations and to save costs of at least $25 million appears to have been kicked into the long grass by CAF’s general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba (pictured).