Mauritius club fined for not doing the TMS paperwork
July 20 – FIFA has sanctioned a club in Mauritius for failing to use its Transfer Matching System (TMS).
Africa
CAF keep 2023 AFCON in June as major events start to squeeze calendar space
July 17 – After weeks of speculation the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that its showpiece event, the African Cup of Nations, will stick to the summer months in 2023 and be held June/July in the Ivory Coast – a massive ask for the players who will now have to play three major tournaments in 18 months.
Zamalek fury prompts complaint to CAF over Al-Ahly’s ‘rigged’ team of the century ranking
By Paul Nicholson
July 16 – Egyptian giants Zamalek are taking their protests over CAF’s 2020 award of the ‘African club of the Century’ to Al-Ahly to the confederation’s ethics function, claiming the club rankings that decided the title were rigged.
Drogba fails to score player support for run at Ivory Coast FA presidency
July 15 – Former Ivory Coast icon Didier Drogba’s hopes of becoming the next president of his country’s football federation has suffered a serious setback after the failure of his fellow players to support his candidacy.
Covid-19 fears push Cameroon to pull out of hosting CAF Champions League closers
July 14 – Kicked from pillar to post in recent months over staging major events, sometimes due to its own inadequacies, Cameroon has pulled out of hosting a planned mini-tournament to decide the 2020 African Champions League winners.
Coronavirus: South Africa’s Premier Soccer League set to lead continent’s restart
July 14 – South African officials are expected to reveal Monday when the richest league in Africa will restart after being halted in March by the coronavirus pandemic.
Government warns SAFA that safety protocols must be followed for league return
July 9 – South Africa’s FA (SAFA) has confirmed it will oversee all procedures relating to ‘return-to-play’ protocols after the country’s Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa urged the federation and the Premier Soccer League to work together to pave the way for a resumption in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fears grow for hidden Eritrean football defectors seeking asylum in Uganda
July 6 – Seven Eritrean international players who have been in hiding in Uganda for more than six months are still seeking asylum for fear of what might happen to them if they are sent home.
AFCON 2021 moved to Jan 2022; women’s event scrapped as no host comes forward
July 1 – Next year’s African Cup of Nations has been postponed until January 2022 because of a backlog of matches caused by the coronavirus.
Military forces gone, renovation complete, Stadium Mogadishu returns to football
June 30 – Having waited since 2004, Somalia today sees the return to football in its national stadium – Stadium Mogadishu.
Cameroon’s AFCON 2020 in Jan looks in doubt as shift to 2021 mooted
June 16 – More doubt is being cast on next year’s African Nations Cup in Cameroon because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tanzania is first African nation to restart top league, with fans
June 15 – Tanzania has become the first African country to resume the league season after an enforced coronavirus shutdown since March. Local authorities have imposed strict protocols to stage matches and allow fans in attendance.
More turmoil for CAF as AFCON 2021’s January dates look doubtful
May 29 – Reports in Africa suggest next year’s African Cup of Nations may be in jeopardy because of the Covid-19 outbreak, a further blow to hosts Cameroon.
Controversial Zamalek chief proclaims his club as ‘African club of the century’
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
May 29 – Zamalek’s controversial president Murtada Mansour has proclaimed his club as ‘African club of the century’, 20 years after Al-Ahly were officially given the moniker by African governing body CAF.
Coronavirus: Four more African FA’s abandon league seasons, taking total to eight
By Samindra Kunti
May 6 – The list of seasons that won’t be completed is growing. In Africa, Congo, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Niger have all cancelled the remainder of their seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.