By Andrew Warshaw
March 1 – The regional factions lining up behind the two rival camps in this month’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential election are taking shape with the Council for East and Central Africa Football Association (CECAFA) endorsing Issa Hayatou for an unprecedented eighth term of office.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – Just days before the first UEFA-imposed deadline for national associations to confirm their interest, Nordic federations have ditched plans to bid for the 2024 European Championship – leaving Germany and Turkey to fight it out.
By Samindra Kunti
February 28 – This weekend Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo and Fluminense will dispute the final of the Taça Guanabara. It is but a footnote in the drawn-out and archaic state championships, which are increasingly holding back Brazilian football.
By David Owen
February 27 – Doubts are emerging as to whether Ahmad Ahmad, the challenger in next month’s crunch Confederation of African Football (CAF) Presidential election, will secure blanket support from members of the Council of Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA).
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – The race for the presidency of African football is turning ugly with Nigerian football federation boss Amaju Pinnick criticised by one of his own people for revealing he will vote for the sole challenger to Issa Hayatou next month.
February 24 – Zimbabwe FA president Philip Chiyangwa (pictured), head of the COSAFA region of 14 states, is rapidly emerging as the kingmaker in next month’s ballot for Confederation of African Football president.
By Samindra Kunti
February 24 – The Maracana stadium will reopen in March with Rio club Flamengo hosting a Copa Libertadores match, but the future of the venue remains in doubt as bidders appear to be getting cold feet over taking on the management challenge of the iconic stadium.
February 24 – UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has once again dismissed the idea of a breakaway European super league, repeatedly mooted as an inevitability despite UEFA’s decision to reform the Champions league in favour of the continent’s top four domestic leagues.
By Samindra Kunti
February 24 – On a historic night for Belgian football, AA Gent, KRC Genk and RSC Anderlecht all progressed from the Europa League’s round of 32. In the round of 16 Manchester United, the biggest team left in the competition, will face Russia’s FC Rostov.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – When the previously little-known Aleksander Ceferin gained a stunning victory to win the presidency of UEFA last September, his landslide 42-13 triumph over Michael van Praag was a giant statement for the smaller European federations like his own Slovenia.
February 23 – Jersey’s appeal against UEFA’s rejection of their membership bid will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on June 28.
February 23 – The regional fight for more slots in an expanded World Cup from 2026 is already under way with Africa stating it is looking for 10 places, double its current quota.
February 21 – Issa Hayatou’s rival in next month’s Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential election says he intends to totally overhaul the Continent’s financial transparency as he bids to bring to an end to the long autocratic reign of Issa Hayatou.
February 21 – The Brazilian at the centre of the latest disgraceful outburst of racist abuse in Serbian football says he wants to forget the incident as soon as possible despite being in floods of tears at the final whistle – pictures that were flashed across the world.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 20 – The tension ahead of next month’s potentially game-changing Confederation of African Football (CAF) presidential election is mounting after South African president Jacob Zuma was reported – apparently wrongly – to have formally given his government’s backing to Issa Hayatou despite the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) executive committee officially endorsing Hayatou’s rival, Madagascar’s Ahmad Ahmad (sic).