January 9 – Togo have today withdrawn from the African Nations Cup in Angola following the machine gun attack on their team bus yesterday, with the death toll now understood to have risen to three and team coach Hubert Velud criticising the organisers reaction to the horrific incident.
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It has been a dreadful start to the year for African football.
I was just settling down to write a column arguing that African governing body CAF’s decision to sign an exclusive sponsorship deal with Qatar 2022 demonstrated that FIFA needed to take a firmer grip on the World Cup bidding process - either that or simply auction the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to the highest bidders - when word of the attack on the Togo team came through.
January 8 – English Premier League clubs have demanded assurances from FIFA about the safety of their players in Angola, including Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu (pictured), following the attack today by gunmen on a bus carrying the Togo squad into Angola to finalise their preparations for the tournament.
By Duncan Mackay
January 8 – A bus carrying the Togo national team, including Manchester City’s £25 million striker Emmanuel Adebayor (pictured), has come under attack from gunfire in Angola, where they were preparing for the African Cup of Nations, which is due to open there on Sunday.
January 8 – Arsenal do not expect majority shareholder Stan Kroenke (pictured) to launch a takeover bid despite being close to the threshold for a mandatory offer, chief executive Ivan Gazidis claimed today.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 8 – Kate Ellis (pictured), Australia’s Sports Minister, insists the country’s bid to stage the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 will not be adversely affected either by kickoff schedules or by an escalating row with other sports.
By Duncan Mackay
January 7 – Leslie Sedibe (pictured), a lawyer, was today unveiled as the new chief executive of the South African Football Association (SAFA) as it enters the most crucial six months of its history.
January 7 – England and other nations bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will not be permitted to make presentations to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later this month after Qatar signed an exclusive sponsorship deal, it was revealed today.
January 7 – England and other nations bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will not be permitted to make presentations to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) later this month after Qatar signed an exclusive sponsorship deal, it was revealed today.
January 7 – Angola is ready to host the African Cup of Nations, which open on Sunday, the country’s Government has declared.
January 7 – Iraqi clubs have been banned from this year’s Asian Cup, it was announced today.
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January 7 – Wimbledon supporters are threatening to take the row over the choice of Milton Keynes as a venue for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid is successful to world governing body FIFA.
By Duncan Mackay
January 7 – Sheffied City Council today denied accusations from Sheffield United that they favoured a planning application from local rivals Sheffield Wednesday over them to help them be chosen as venue for the 2018 World Cup if England’s bid to host the tournament.
January 6 – Raymond Hack (pictured) has resigned as chief executive of the South African Football Association (SAFA) less than six months before the World Cup in the continuing fall-out from the battle for power in the domestic game.
By Duncan Mackay
January 6 – Manchester City have reported a loss of £92.6 million up until May 31, 2009, the biggest annual loss in English football history and emphasises the vast amounts of money invested by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan since he bought the Eastlands outfit from Thaksin Shinawatra in September 2008.