Somali FA votes in Abdi Mohamed for four-year presidential term
February 23 – Ali Abdi Mohamed is the new president of the Somali FA. He was elected unopposed at the third time of asking and will serve a four-year term.
Africa
Clattenburg exits head of Egyptian refs post over fears for safety and Zamalek backlash
January 26 – Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has been forced to resign from his position as president of the Egyptian Referees Committee after only five months in charge.
Covid confusion. Comoros admit to cheating at AFCON, CAF say it was not possible
January 20 – Comoros FA (FFC) boss Said Ali Athouman has said his team cheated at the Africa Cup of Nations over positive Covid tests, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said that it would have been “impossible” for teams to cheat the ruling bodies’ Covid rules.
Mandela’s grandson ignites Moroccan fury with call to ‘free’ Western Sahara at CHAN opening in Algeria
January 16 – Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela has sparked Moroccan outrage and an investigation by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over his comments “to free” the disputed Western Sahara at the opening ceremony of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria.
High-flying Morocco pull out of CHAN after failing to get Algerian landing slot
January 13 – Defending champions Morocco have withdrawn from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after hosts Algeria refused the Moroccans a direct flight into the country.
Chad kicked out of U17 AFCON qualifiers for age cheating
January 13 – Chad are the latest nation to fall foul of the age testing saga rocking African football after being disqualified from the regional Under-17 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers due to start on January 12.
Cameroon’s Modeste M’Bami dies of heart attack, aged 40
January 9 – Former Cameroon and Paris St Germain midfielder Modeste M’Bami has died aged just 40 after suffering a heart attack.
Cameroon U17 squad shredded after 21 players fail age screening tests
January 5 – Cameroon football has again been rocked by an age fraud scandal with 21 out of 30 Under-17 national team players disqualified after failing MRI tests ordered by the country’s FA (Fecafoot) chief Samuel Eto’o.
Cape Verde is first to heed FIFA call and name national stadium after Pele
January 4 – Africa’s Cape Verde has become the first FIFA member nation to heed president Gianni Infantino’s call to rename a stadium in every country in the world after Pele.
Tunisia keep faith in Kadri for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
January 3 – Tunisia have extended the contract of coach Jalel Kadri (pictured) for a year despite the Carthage Eagles’ group-stage exit from the World Cup in Qatar.
Motsepe short on Super League detail but says an African team will make 2026 final
December 22 – African football boss Patrice Motsepe has once again failed to provide a credible update on his confederation’s plans to launch a Super League in 2023, this time suggesting too many clubs have expressed an interest in the competition.
Motsepe says Lagardere deal settled but fails to give comfort on CAF’s financial future
December 21 – Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has said that the dispute with the confederation’s commercial rights agency Lagardere, which has left a huge hole in the finances of the confederation, has been settled in an “amicable” way.
Former Nigeria boss Pinnick says CAF finances are a worry, but Africa is building
By Samindra Kunti in Doha
December 21 – Nigerian football official Amaju Pinnick (pictured) has claimed that the finances of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) are “a big mess”.
French journalist promises to sue Cameroon FA for defamation
December 14 – The Cameroon Football Association (Fecafoot) is facing a lawsuit from a French investigative journalist after the federation published a statement accusing him of attempted blackmail and extortion.
Motsepe and CAF tow the company line on Infantino’s ‘shut-up-and-play’ message
November 10 – Unsurprisingly, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have pulled their weight behind Gianni Infantino’s highly controversial ‘shut-up-and-play’ message to the 32 World Cup finalists on the eve of the tournament.