By Paul Nicholson
January 4 – The Liberian FA (LFA) and its president Musa Bility have hit back saying that the pre-Christmas visit to their country by a FIFA team of financial investigators was in fact a compliance audit and not a forensic audit tasked with investigating financial corruption in Liberian football.
January 3 – An Egyptian court has sentenced 28 fans to jail for one year for paying tribute to those killed in the infamous Port Said disaster five years ago, accusing them of incitement.
December 28 – It isn’t every day that a former World Football Player of the Year becomes president of his country but Liberia’s George Weah has made that remarkable transition after the second round of voting in a sometimes acrimonious election campaign saw him defeat 73-year-old Joseph Boakai who has been vice president for the last 12 years.
December 27 – The bitter in-fighting over who runs Sierra Leone football has taken another twist with FIFA’s Members Association Committee giving under-fire Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) president Isha Johansen a boost by ordering a series of reforms.
December 27 – Somalia took a step nearer to regaining control of their national stadium in Mogadishu after Somali Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Kheyre, confirmed that African Union peace keeping troops stationed at Stadium Mogadishu would withdra from the stadium by 2018.
December 21 – The president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf), Ahmad Ahmad, has reiterated his warning to Cameroon about their ability to host the first expanded 24-team Africa Cup of Nations in 2019.
By Paul Nicholson
December 21 – After months of damning stories and rumours surrounding financial corruption in the Liberian FA and its controversial president Musa Bility, the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee has stepped in to investigate. Early reports are that their findings are explosive.
December 21 – FIFA has appointed a normalisation committee to run the affairs of the troubled Malian Football Association (Femafoot).
December 18 – Sudan’s leading club has been reprimanded after supporters taunted rival fans by erecting banners displaying an image of Adolf Hitler during a bitter championship decider.
December 19 – Former World player of the year and Ballon d’Or winner George Weah has had his bid for political power stymied once again after the country’s current Vice President Joseph Boakai called for a postponement of the second round of presidential elections before the Supreme Court.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – The bitter in-fighting between Zimbabwean football boss Philip Chiyangwa (pictured) and the national federation’s (ZIFA) former chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze has plummeted to new depths with Mashingaidze reportedly handed a life ban after he claimed Chiyangwa was guilty of corruption.
December 15 – Kenya has been chosen by FIFA to form part of the pilot phase for FIFA’s new women’s football development programmes, with Kenya Football being offered the opportunity to benefit from a project which will focus on participation growth.
By Paul Nicholson
December 14 – Rochell Woodson, the suspended Liberian FA (LFA) executive committee member who plans to run against Musa Bility for the Liberian FA presidency, has filed a complaint to the LFA exco that her appeal against her sanction will not be heard in time for her to take place in the presidential election. She has also filed a separate complaint to the African confederation (CAF) against Bility complaining of constant harassment and intimidation.
December 14 – Insisting it has not made the decision to fall into line with Europe, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that its club tournaments will run between September or October and May from 2019.
December 13 – The bitter in-fighting over who runs Sierra Leone football, and the future of the federation president Isha Johansen appears to have died down following pressure from FIFA to allow her to carry on even though her mandate officially expired in August.