By Paul Nicholson
March 19 – Details have surfaced of yet another complaint by a member of the Sudan FA – this one made in November 2019 – and sent to FIFA protesting ethics violations by SFA president, Dr. Kamal Shaddad, who last month was blessed by a visit from FIFA president Gianni Infantino prior to the CAF electoral congress and the installation of Patrice Motsepe as CAF president.
March 18 – In a major snub to upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, no French clubs will release their non-European players during the international break, the French Professional League (LFP) announced on Wednesday.
By Paul Nicholson
March 17 – More details are emerging of alleged financial corruption at the Sudan FA by president Dr. Kamal Shadad (pictured), as well as evidence of a complaint made to FIFA’s Ethics department back in October 2020, three months before FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the country and reportedly instructed Shadad to support new CAF president Patrice Motsepe ahead of the African confederation’s electoral congress.
By Samindra Kunti
March 16 – New CAF president Patrice Motsepe has said he needs new secretary-general Veron Mosengo-Omba in his team “to hit the ground running”, even if the South African offered little detail on how he will tackle some of CAF’s pressing, existential problems.
By Paul Nicholson
March 16 – Just four days after Patrice Motsepe took the leadership of CAF and two days after FIFA’s Veron Mosengo-Omba was shifted from Zurich to CAF as its General Secretary, their first ethical challenge concerning an African member association has arisen.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 15 – Having seen the man he backed become head of African football, Gianni Infantino now has the luxury of even more influence across the Continent after one of FIFA’s top officials was parachuted into the Confederation of African Football’s number two role at the weekend.
March 15 – The CAF elections last Friday saw a whole suite of FIFA’s favourite Africans jostled into position both at the confederation and as their representatives at FIFA. Among the change was the further rise of Isha Johansen, Sierra Leone’s FA president, at the expense of long term incumbent Lydia Nsekera from Burundi.
By Paul Nicholson
March 12 – South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe took the throne of African football at the 43rd CAF Congress today, profusely thanking his many ‘brothers’ before sending a clear message at the end of the meeting that there is an urgent need to progress the game in Africa and that it can’t be done without the buy-in of the private sector in all member nations.
By Paul Nicholson
March 12 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino opened the 43rd CAF Congress in Rabat, Morocco – pretty much his home constituency in the balance of FIFA’s politics these days – with an emphasis on African unity and yet another pledge to drive Africa to the top of the world game on the field of play.
March 12 – The sports ministry of Chad has dissolved the Federation of Chad Football Associations (FTFA) the country’s FA, which could led to a ban from the global game by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – In the end, all the campaigning and lobbying proved fruitless – for three of the candidates at least.
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – Former CAF executive committee member and Liberian FA president Musa Bility has issued a warning to his African football colleagues over what he calls the “FIFA-fronted capitulation of CAF presidential candidates”.
March 9 – While the race for the CAF presidency pretty much over with three of the candidates challenging for the position having agreed deals to pull out in favour of South Africa’s Patrice Motsepe, the jostling for position on CAF’s executive committee and the FIFA Council is taking centre stage.
March 9 – The 2021 edition of the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations has been cancelled at the last minute by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), leaving hosts Morocco embarrassed on the eve of the governing body’s 43rd general assembly.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 8 – The behind-the-scenes deal-making that for weeks has characterised the election for the top job in African football has resulted in three of the four candidates – Jacques Anouma of the Ivory Coast, Senegal’s Augustin Senghor and Ahmed Yahya of Mauritania – pulling out at the 11th hour in favour of giving South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe, the preferred choice of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a clear run for the CAF presidency.