Burundi: Football offers hope to street children
February 7 – FIFA has partnered with Terre des Hommes (TdH) and its local partner Giriyuja to establish a centre for street kids in Burundi’s capital Bujumbara.
Africa
Egypt’s Premier League kicks off behind closed doors
February 4 – A year and a day after Egypt’s Premier League was suspended following violence at the Port Said stadium where 74 fans died, the league restarted this weekend with two matches on Saturday and two on Sunday.
Guinness Nigeria gets big and shirty with the Super Eagles
As Nigeria made their way through the group stages at the Africa Cup of Nations, the official Super Eagles sponsors Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, made it a double celebration when it recorded a world record with the unveiling the world’s largest football jersey.
Egyptians still planning to kick off Premier League this weekend
January 30 – The Egyptian Premier League, which hasn’t seen a ball kicked in competitive action since February 2012, may still start this weekend (February 2) despite on-going street violence and instability within the country. Games will be played behind closed doors.
Former FIFA vice-president Warner backs Bin Hammam
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner insists Mohamed Bin Hammam would have had a “great chance” of beating Sepp Blatter in last year’s FIFA Presidential race had bribery allegations not derailed his campaign.
FIFA close Mohamed Bin Hammam bribery case
By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – The FIFA-appointed corruption buster looking into the conduct of Mohamed Bin Hammam, the man who tried to challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA Presidency, has admitted no new charges will be brought to support the claim that Bin Hammam bribed Caribbean officials during his doomed election campaign.
Exclusive: North African football emerges from the Arab Spring, badly bloodied but robust
December 13 – Speaking at the International Football Arena (IFA) conference in Japan, Khaled Mortagy, a board director of Egyptian champions Al-Ahly and the African qualifiers for the FIFA Club World Cup, gave a brutally honest presentation outlining the journey the game was taking away from the dark days of football corruption, Government interference and the scenes of shocking violence.
Hayatou to be unopposed in CAF Presidential elections after challenger barred from running
By Duncan Mackay
December 12 – Issa Hayatou is set to extend his 25-year reign as head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unopposed after Jacques Anouma’s challenge to be President was thrown out.
Senegal face CAF ban and fine following riot
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Senegal have been banned from using their main stadium in Dakar for African competition for a year following riots in October, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed.
Eritrean players disappear to seek asylum in Uganda
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – As many as 18 Eritrean players are understood to be considering seeking asylum in Uganda after disappearing while playing in a regional tournament.
Anouma to challenge Hayatou for African football Presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – The battle to take control of African football has taken a significant new twist with the announcement that the Ivory Coast is planning to nominate Jacques Anouma to stand against Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Issa Hayatou in next March’s elections in Morocco.
CAS investigating African football’s Presidential vote rules
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – The power struggle to determine who can and who can’t challenge for the top job in African football is being taken all the way to sport’s highest court of law, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Egyptian league set to return in December
By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – Egypt’s delayed league season could finally kick off on December 15 with a proposal that the top division be split into two, partly to reduce fan violence.
African Champions League final crowd limited over violence fears
By Andrew Warshaw
November 15 – Sunday’s eagerly awaited African Champions League final second leg between Esperance of Tunisia and Egypt’s Al Ahly will have a restricted crowd of 35,000 due to fears of fan violence.
Car crash claims the lives of four South African players
By Andrew Warshaw
November 14 – South African football is reeling from the deaths of four players killed in a car accident in the same region where national team assistant coach Thomas Madigage lost his life in another crash last month.