By Osasu Obayiuwana
August 13 – In a highly unusual move, FIFA has asked the 54 member associations of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sign a one-page media rights “mandate” that gives the world governing body “an irrevocable mandate to implement a central marketing plan to market and commercialise the media rights for the FIFA African Qualifiers 2022 & 2026.”
August 12 – Nigeria is in the running to host the 2020 U-20 Women’s World Cup. A FIFA inspection team visited facilities in the proposed host cities of Lagos, Benin City, Asaba and Uyo.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
August 9 – Musa Bility, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Executive Committee member, recently banned for 10 years, by the Adjudicatory Chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, is accusing a key official of the world governing body of strong-arming him, over his refusal to accept FIFA’s direct intervention in CAF’s affairs.
August 9 – Having been stripped of hosting rights for this year’s African Cup of Nations due to lack of preparations, Cameroon may not even be ready to stage the showpiece event in two years’ time, according to their all-time leading goalscorer.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
August 7 – CAF’s Disciplinary Committee (DC) have confirmed that Tunisian club Esperance remain the 2019 African champions, after several weeks of controversy, following the abandonment of the May 31 Champions League final in Tunis, between them and Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) of Morocco.
August 8 – Former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba, who last month joined the African Football Confederation (CAF) as one of two special advisors to Ahmad Ahmad, is weighing up whether to run for president of his national federation according to l’Equipe.
By Paul Nicholson
August 6 – Moroccan FA president Fouzi Lekjaa, who allegedly head-butted Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema after the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup final between RS Berkane and Zamalek, has had the charges against him of assault dismissed, despite eye witnesses being present.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
August 6 – Christian Lagnide, the CEO of Sports Marketing firm LC2, currently in a near $20 million debt dispute with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), says his company is not in violation of its previous TV rights contract with the continental football governing body.
August 6 – South Africa’s hastily assembled squad has been dumped out of the African Nations Championship qualifiers after a 3-0 defeat to Lesotho on Sunday saw them lose 6-2 on aggregate.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
August 5 – beIN Sports, the international pay-tv broadcaster, financed by the government of Qatar, is officially the number one financial partner of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
August 5 – FIFA’s secretary general Fatma Samoura has officially started her reforming mission at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) despite strong opposition from within sections of African football’s hierarchy.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
July 31 – In a further twist to the controversy that has bedevilled last May’s abandoned African Champions League final in Tunis, between Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco, the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) has nullified the decision of CAF’s executive committee on June 5 in Paris, ordering a replay of the game.
By Paul Nicholson
July 31 – Musa Hassan Bility, the CAF executive committee member banned by FIFA less than 24 hours after filing a complaint to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has written an Open Letter to the FIFA Council calling into question the governing body’s “weaponised” Ethics committee.
July 30 – Twenty eight African teams learned who their first opposition would be on the road to Qatar after the draw for the preliminary round of Africa’s qualifying campaign for the 2022 World Cup was held on Monday.
By Paul Nicholson
July 26 – FIFA waited more than five months before issuing the verdict banning Liberian Musa Bility from football activity and stripping him of his position on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The ban was issued after Bility refused to support the FIFA intervention and two days after he said he was taking his complaint to CAS.