By Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – Africa’s top brass have officially endorsed Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa’s bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, a massive boost for the Asian football leader but bad news for Africa’s only candidate for the post, Tokyo Sexwale.
By Mark Baber
January 21 – A meeting called by Minister of Youth and Sports Solomaan Dalung, aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute between rival claimants to the position of Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick and Chris Giwa ended in stalemate and came close to descending into fisticuffs according to witnesses.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 18 – FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale’s hopes of gaining the unanimous support of his own African confederation have suffered a further blow with Ghana saying the South African lacks the requisite leadership skills.
January 6 – The Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) has agreed a five-year strategy for the region aimed at the development of women’s and youth football. There will also be an emphasis on technical development across the member countries.
By Mark Baber
December 30 – As the battle between rival factions for control of Nigeria’s Football Federation (NFF) hots up again, the country’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has warned “that violence will amount to a breakdown of law and order which will not solve the 14 month old crisis and will not be acceptable to the government.”
By Paul Nicholson
December 17 – Somalia makes a small but significant piece of national football history today with the first live football broadcast of a match played in the country.
December 11 – Sierra Leone, which has only just returned to organised football activity having been declared ebola-free, has had its FA board dissolved by the National Sports Council (NSC), though the Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) is refusing to acknowledge the ruling.
By Mark Baber
December 8 – Bentley-driving, self-proclaimed ‘selfie-King’, multi-millionaire businessman Phillip Chiyangwa has been elected as the new President of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) after a campaign in which he promised to solve the body’s financial woes.
By Mark Baber
December 2 – When it comes to a boring football match, most fans have little option but to grin and bear it. Not so with Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, President of Mauritania, who in the 63rd minute of the Supercup match between FC Tevragh-Zeina and ACS Ksar, decided enough was enough and brought the action to an end – ordering the referee to proceed straight to penalties.
November 26 – The kick-off time of the second leg of the 2015 CAF Confederation Cup is being brought forward from 18:30 GMT to 14:00 GMT in response to Tunisia’s 30-day curfew, announced in the wake of the bombing of a bus carrying presidential guards last Tuesday.
By Mark Baber
November 23 – The Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations [CECAFA] has elected President of Sudan Football Association, Dr. Mutasim Gafaar as head of the body, on the eve of the start of the 2015 CECAFA Challenge Cup.
November 10 – The World Health Organisation’s declaration that Sierra Leone is now officially free of ebola will have an immediate positive effect on the country’s football programme.
By Mark Baber
October 28 – Ahead of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) elections, Kenyan football has descended further into chaos as FKF President Sam Nyamweya (pictured) and the current FKF leadership try to push through their plan to expand the Kenya Premier League (KPL), whilst the South Coast of the FKF has vowed to hold the elections on Thursday, saying the mandate of existing office-holders runs out on that day.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 14 – FIFA’s ethics committee has thrown out yet another corrupt official with South Africa’s Lindile Kika banned for six years as part of the match-fixing investigation involving friendly games ahead of the 2010 World Cup that sent shockwaves through the country.
By Mark Baber
October 13 – A regional football match between Awdal and Marodi Jeh at Haji Dahir stadium in Borama, Somaliland, quickly descended into violence on Sunday as a dispute over a penalty decision led to a small-scale crowd invasion and police responded with automatic weapons fire, reportedly killing one and injuring others, one of whom died of his wounds.