Mali and Guinea live in hope but bemoan luck of the draw
January 29 – The respective coaches of Mali and Guinea have criticised the drawing of lots to decide which of them progresses in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Africa
Sierra Leone government backs Johansen against rebel takeover
January 29 – The Sierra Leone government is backing the country’s present football regime against the threat of a takeover by a rebel group pushing for change.
Africans keep faith in Blatter for another term at the top
January 28 – African countries, keen to maintain the level of developments funding they receive, will remain steadfastly behind Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming FIFA presidential election campaign.
Sakho’s joy turns to anger at Facebook abuse for missing AFCON
January 27 – Senegal striker Diafra Sakho says he is “saddened” and “angered” by criticism of his absence from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Kenyan reach agreement to revamp league and set up task force
By Mark Baber
January 22 – The dispute between the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and Football Kenya Federation (FKL) over the number of teams in Kenya’s top division and the relationship between the two bodies looks close to resolution with reports of a task force set up to take matters forward.
Turnstile turmoil as home fans clash with police at African Cup
January 22 – Already buffeted by allegations by some participants of poor organisation, stand-in Africa Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea have now been rocked by clashes between fans and police.
CAS hearings prevent Nigerian confrontation at NFF Glass House
By Mark Baber
January 19 – The threatened occupation of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Glass House HQ by the Chris Giwa faction fighting for leadership of the NFF didn’t take place last week as both Giwa and Amaju Pinnick were appearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne on Friday in attempt to find settlement of the disputed elections into the executive board of the NFF.
AFCON glitches surface as teams settle in with ‘stop-gap’ hosts
January 19 – Organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations have sought to play down complaints about sub-standard facilities but have admitted the tournament, which got under way at the weekend, may not be of the highest standard.
Replacement AFCON hosts accused of poor facilities
January 16 – Teams arriving for the Africa Cup of Nations which starts tomorrow in Equatorial Guinea have reportedly been suffering from a lack of hotel rooms and other facilities.
Africa’s European players flood back for Nations Cup duty
January 16- European clubs look set to count the cost of losing vital players to the 30th African Nations Cup that starts tomorrow.
Figures released by the European Club Association shows that two thirds of the players involved come from European clubs.
NFF faces melt-down as infighting re-ignites after arbitration panel refused
By Mark Baber
January 13 – The refusal of the current Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Executive Committee to set up an arbitration panel in order to bring a sense of legitimacy to football governance in the country, following the disputed elections of September 30, has returned Nigerian football to a full-blown crisis – this time with influential opponents of the Warri-elected NFF President Amaju Pinnick promising to take action simultaneously.
FIFA backs Sierra Leone’s Johansen and outlaws rebels ahead of June elections
By Andrew Warshaw
January 12 – The woman who runs football in Sierra Leone has denounced the “deceit, lack of integrity and indiscipline” plaguing the game in her country as she attempts to fight off an unofficial group of rebel administrators who claim they have unseated her and are now in control.
Toure wins top CAF award as Globacom signs to sponsor for further four years
By Mark Baber
January 9 – Mike Adenuga’s mobile phone operator, Globacom Limited, the second biggest telecom operator in Nigeria, signed a new deal with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sponsor the annual African Player of the Year Awards on Thursday on the eve of the 2014 awards ceremony.
Football restarts in Liberia as Ebola infection rates fall
By Mark Baber
January 8 – As the numbers of new Ebola patients falls off dramatically in Liberia, with just eight new infections reported in 29 December to January 4 reporting period, the Liberian Football Federation has announced the resumption of competitive matches “with immediate effect,” marking a major milestone in the impoverished country’s struggle against the deadly disease which has killed at least 3,471 people in Liberia.
Ghana positive ahead of AFCON 2015 as GN Bank adds to sponsorship roster
By Mark Baber
January 7 – Ahead of the African Cup of Nations a sense of optimism prevails in Ghana as Ghana National Bank (GN Bank) confirms a new sponsorship deal with the Ghana Football Association, national team manager Avram Grant professes satisfaction with the squad’s preparations and the players insist rows over bonus payments are in the past, with the team “willing to die” for the cause.