Madagascar FA boss Rabekoto goes missing with €25m
October 8 – The president of Madagascar’s football federation, Raoul Rabekoto, is reportedly still missing and under an international arrest warrant for allegedly embezzling €25 million.
Africa
FIFA on African manoeuvres in bid to get their man Drogba up front in FIF elections
By Paul Nicholson
October 5 – FIFA’s involvement in Africa’s football politics and the election of its officials has again caused resentment on the continent with the world governing body this time stepping into the Côte d’Ivoire presidential election furore surrounding Didier Drogba.
Pinnick keeps himself in frame for run at CAF presidency
September 22 – Outspoken Nigerian football boss Amaju Pinnick says he hasn’t ruled out taking on present incumbent Ahmad for the leadership of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) when elections take place next March.
Ahmad stays quiet on whether he will bid to keep CAF presidency at Rabat congress
September 15 – The Moroccan capital of Rabat has been confirmed as host of next year’s eagerly anticipated Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential elections. What hasn’t is whether under-fire CAF current president Ahmad will stand again.
Coronavirus: CAF pushes Champions League final rounds back into November
September 11 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has pushed back the final of the African Champions League, the Continent’s showpiece fixture, by three weeks to November 6.
From war camp to national symbol: Stadium Mogadishu hosts first youth tournament
September 4 – Somalia’s Stadium Mogadishu has taken another step forward with the return of competitive football after 16 years, during most of which time it was used as a military camp.
Drogba out the race for Ivory Coast presidency after failing election criteria
August 28 – Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast’s most iconic footballer – all-time top goal scorer with 65 goals from 105 appearances – has finally been ruled out of the contest for next month’s federation (FIF) presidential election.
CAF drops centralised Champions League finish in favour of home and away semis
August 4 – Following a meeting of its Emergency Committee, the African confederation (CAF) has revised dates and venues for its flagship Champions League and Total Confederation Cup club competitions.
Coronavirus: Second shutdown forces Zambia to cancel Super League
August 3 – Zambia has cancelled its top flight, the Super League, following a steady rise in coronavirus infections with clubs flouting medical protocols. The league had resumed in July after the pandemic shutdown.
South Africans agree August restart dates for closed door finish
July 28 – South African football will return to action behind closed doors with the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and the Nedbank Cup, officials have announced.
Exclusive: Bility lays bare FIFA’s ‘corrupt’ African power games in letter to AU and UN
By Paul Nicholson
July 27 – Musa Bility has entered the FIFA integrity debate again with a hard-hitting letter to the chair of the African Union and the secretary general of the United Nations imploring them to “intervene and reform FIFA and organizations such as CAF”.
Mob rule: FIFA bans Guinea-Bissau’s dissenting Nascimento a day before re-election
July 27 – With interesting timing, FIFA has imposed a 10-year ban on the president of Guinea-Bissau’s federation, Manual Nascimento (pictured), over “an incident of mob justice.”
FIFPro enters politics banning Ivory Coast for not supporting Drogba’s presidential push
July 27 – FIFPro has taken the highly unusual step of suspending its Ivory Coast member for not supporting the bid of Didier Drogba, the country’s most iconic player, to become the next president of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF).
Barking mad: Tanzania’s Yanga fire Belgian coach Eymael after racist rant
July 27 – Tanzanian top tier club Young Africans SC dismissed their Belgian head coach Luc Eymael (pictured) with immediate effect after he described the club’s fans as dogs and monkeys.
Ivory Coast refs play their cards for Drogba in presidential race
July 24 – September’s election for a new president of the Ivory Coast FA is heating up with the country’s referees announcing their support for former playing icon Didier Drogba even though he remains the underdog.