Hayatou’s African supremacy under threat from Madagascar’s Ahmad
January 13 – Is Issa Hayatou’s long, autocratic and often controversial reign as head of African football at last about to be put to the test?
World Football
Are Europe’s Cup competitions half full or half empty?
January 12 – With the English FA Cup having played its first weekend with the Premier League teams in the competition, and Spain’s Copa del Rey being marked by a comeback performance by Barcelona and Messi brilliance to get them though to the quarter finals, the question of whether Cup competitions are a distraction or an opportunity is being asked across Europe.
Club vs country: Big 5 clubs count cost of African stars as AFCON set for kick off
January 12 – As European league seasons hot up in the second half of campaigns, the impact of losing players to the African Nations Cup, which begins on Saturday, is once again likely to take its toll.
Maracana looted as arguments rage over who will pay for the iconic stadium
By Samindra Kunti
January 12 – Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracana stadium has been looted while a dispute over the stadium’s maintenance makes for an increasingly sad story of Brazilian World Cup legacy.
CONMEBOL call in Sportradar to boost battle against match-fixers
January 12 – South American confederation CONMEBOL has called in Sportradar to boost its battle against matchfixing and the on-going threats posed across the region.
Commisso puts NY Cosmos back in the game with new money and return to NYC
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – New York Cosmos continued their rollercoaster ride with the announcement of a new majority owner, US cable television entrepreneur Rocco Commisso. The news comes days after the team announced it would participate in the NASL next season alongside after the US Soccer Federation granted the league Division II status.
Uganda and Zimbabwe finally clear money hurdles on route to AFCON in Gabon
By Samindra Kunti
January 10 – Zimbabwe and Uganda have both faced financial problems that at one point looked to threaten their participation of the African Cup of Nations, but the two countries are now set to play at the tournament in Gabon.
US Club Soccer boss Payne calls for culture change as NSCAA opens its doors
By Paul Nicholson
January 10 – Tomorrow the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) opens their annual conference in Los Angeles, the largest soccer convention in the world and the largest coaching convention of any sport worldwide. More than 20,000 participants are expected to attend, an increasing number of them international visitors.
USL unveils its 30-team conference split for its first D2 season
January 10 – Just a few days after being granted Division II status in the US, the United Soccer League (USL) announced how its 30 teams will divide into Eastern and Western conferences for the 2017 expanded 32-game schedule.
NASL and USL given equal ranking as D2 leagues in US as NY Cosmos commit to play
By Paul Nicholson
January 9 – The perilous but tenacious state of the North American Soccer League (NASL) and the upstart and growing status of the United Soccer League (USL) have both been recognised by US Soccer (USSF) which has granted one-year provisional Division II status to both leagues for the 2017 season.
Panathinaikos president Alafouzos scores hat-trick of jail convictions
By Lefteris Charalampopoulos
January 9 – On 28 December 2016 Giannis Alafouzos, president of Panathinaikos and owner of SKAI TV Station was found guilty by a Greek court, of instigating the journalist Kyriakos Thomaidis to violate Greek legislation regarding the protection of sensitive personal data.
AFCON loses lustre as players opt to stay with clubs rather than travel to Gabon
By Samindra Kunti
January 9 – Next weekend the African Cup of Nations will begin in Gabon, but the tournament’s build-up has been marred by the ever strident complaints from European clubs over African players representing their country at Africa’s flagship tournament.
Hayatou under scrutiny in Egypt over Lagardère media rights deal
By Andrew Warshaw
January 6 – Veteran African football chief Issa Hayatou, who briefly ran FIFA after Sepp Blatter was forced out of office but who is no stranger himself to controversy, is back in the firing line for allegedly abusing his position.
AFCON holders Ivory Coast given €600k budget boost for 2017 challenge
By Samindra Kunti
January 6 – Defending champions Ivory Coast have been given a financial boost ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Gabon.