By Paul Nicholson
April 24 – Russia’s stadium preparations for the 2018 World Cup are on schedule in terms of delivery dates, but off-schedule in terms of cost. An issue that is forcing the organisers to continually re-evaluate, but which they have repeatedly said will not derail the overall plan.
By Mark Baber
April 24 – The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has finally reappointed Stephen Keshi as manager of the national team for the third time, bowing to the wishes of Nigeria’s out-going President Goodluck Jonathan, in a ceremony at which NFF President Amaju Pinnick was conspicuous by his absence.
April 23 – The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has again called for African Peacekeeping troops to withdraw from the country’s National facility in Mogadishu and allow it to be returned to football.
If one can believe the social media world, Team China should have already qualified for World Cup 2018. Even though the AFC has only just announced the draw for the eight groups, which is only the secondary stage of a long long qualification process for the Russian tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – A rightwing Israeli non-governmental organisation has stepped up the propaganda war of words over the treatment of Palestinian footballers in the West Bank and Gaza by blaming Palestinian football leader Jibril Rajoub for deliberately stirring up trouble.
By Mark Baber
April 23 – One of the longest shirt sponsorships in professional football is coming to an end as PSV Eindhoven and Philips announced on Wednesday that Philips will no longer be the shirt sponsor of PSV from the start of the 2016-17 season.
April 23 – Despite steering his Bayern side to a stirring 6-1 thrashing of Porto for a 7-4 aggregate Champions League quarterfinal win, Pep Guardiola has fallen foul of UEFA who took exception to a T-shirt he was wearing in the build-up to the game in support of a tragically killed journalist colleague.
By Alexander Krassimirov
April 23 – CSKA Sofia’s Portuguese winger Toni Silva (pictured) would appear to have been forced into what is a remarkable public statement saying that insulting remarks made to him by the club’s fans (including ‘monkey’ insults) are not racist.
April 23 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers have unveiled plans for a fifth stadium as they attempt to focus on infrastructure despite the continuing scrutiny about workers rights and the fact the tournament will be staged in winter.
How fast can one game change everything. Until Tuesday, FC Bayern had not shown in the second round that they really had a compelling game to win at the highest level.
April 23 – Palestinian football chief Jibril Rajoub (pictured) insists he will not back down from demanding Israel be suspended from world football until and unless the Israelis are seen to have totally lifted their restrictions on free movement of players and officials between the West Bank and Gaza.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – The deepening impasse between Greece and football’s governing bodies has intensified after Greek authorities angrily rejected an ultimatum from FIFA and UEFA to stop interfering with football or risk being thrown out of international competition.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 22 – In another sign of the worsening condition of Romanian football, FC Brasov has entered insolvency proceedings, and shortly after lost its chief executive.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – The confusion and chaos ripping through Sierra Leone football shows little sign of abating after the national association’s long-awaited congress was brought to an abrupt end.
By Mark Baber
April 22 – The Ugandan Court of Appeal has rejected the Uganda Super League (USL) Limited application to stop the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) and Azam TV implementing their sponsorship and broadcast agreement for Uganda’s Premier League.