Madagascar’s Ahmad loses first round of politics as CAF pulls U17 championship
By Samindra Kunti
January 17 – The CAF executive committee has withdrawn the hosting right for this year’s U17 African Cup of Nations from Madagascar.
World Football
Trump puts walls up, CONCACAF pulls them down. New deal with Mexico to boost education
January 17 – CONCACAF has launched a high level initiative in conjunction with Mexican federation FEMEXFUT to boost the standard of referring and coaching at the top levels of its member federations.
Club vs Country: Klopp vents frustration over Cameroonian Matip’s eligibility
January 16 – When is retirement not retirement? FIFA have been asked by Liverpool to make a ruling over the eligibility of Cameroon defender Joel Matip after the club was forced to leave him out in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
James Dostoyevsky: Of Steele(y) spooks and other quality folk
The Swiss Prosecutors are investigating the scraps that the US Department of Justice left with them. The DOJ used spooks to identify the bad men at FIFA. They didn’t just do this in the US where super-snitch Blazer was caught in his electric armchair on his way to yet another eatery. They did it throughout Europe, and one would now be permitted to assume also in Russia.
Lagardère beats IMG to CONCACAF’s international media rights
By Paul Nicholson
January 15 – Lagardère Sports have won the international sales rights to CONCACAF events including this year’s Gold Cup, taking over from last international sales reps IMG who held the contract for a year. No details were given on the deal or the size of the guarantee that Lagardère made.
CAF sticks to AFCON format as Gabon welcomes 16 finalists for 2017 kick off
By Samindra Kunti
January 13 – Hosts Gabon and debutants Guinea-Bissau will kick off the 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations this weekend, the biennial men’s football championship organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
MLS announces 2017 schedules and a first time break for Gold Cup play
By Paul Nicholson
January 13 – Major League Soccer has unveiled its 2017 regular season which for the first time will take a break during the CONCACAF Gold Cup group stages July 7-17, a significant move by the league to give the region’s premier international competition a clear window of media profile in the US.
Big bosses bang the drum for increased confederation co-operation
January 13 – UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin hosted AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa at UEFA HQ in Nyon, Switzerland, with an agenda based on deepening the relationship between the tow confederations.
Hayatou’s African supremacy under threat from Madagascar’s Ahmad
January 13 – Is Issa Hayatou’s long, autocratic and often controversial reign as head of African football at last about to be put to the test?
Are Europe’s Cup competitions half full or half empty?
January 12 – With the English FA Cup having played its first weekend with the Premier League teams in the competition, and Spain’s Copa del Rey being marked by a comeback performance by Barcelona and Messi brilliance to get them though to the quarter finals, the question of whether Cup competitions are a distraction or an opportunity is being asked across Europe.
Club vs country: Big 5 clubs count cost of African stars as AFCON set for kick off
January 12 – As European league seasons hot up in the second half of campaigns, the impact of losing players to the African Nations Cup, which begins on Saturday, is once again likely to take its toll.
Maracana looted as arguments rage over who will pay for the iconic stadium
By Samindra Kunti
January 12 – Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracana stadium has been looted while a dispute over the stadium’s maintenance makes for an increasingly sad story of Brazilian World Cup legacy.
CONMEBOL call in Sportradar to boost battle against match-fixers
January 12 – South American confederation CONMEBOL has called in Sportradar to boost its battle against matchfixing and the on-going threats posed across the region.
Commisso puts NY Cosmos back in the game with new money and return to NYC
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – New York Cosmos continued their rollercoaster ride with the announcement of a new majority owner, US cable television entrepreneur Rocco Commisso. The news comes days after the team announced it would participate in the NASL next season alongside after the US Soccer Federation granted the league Division II status.