Danny Jordaan Is The New SAFA President

The former chief executive officer (CEO) of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, local organising committee, Mr Danny Jordaan (62), has been elected with a two third majority, as the new president of the South African Football Association (SAFA).

The very experienced sports administartor and former vice-president of SAFA, Jordaan, won the election by beating his opponent, Mr Mandla Mazibuko, with 162 votes to 88 votes. The out-going president, Mr Kirsten Nematandani did not contest in the election.

This election was conducted by the Independent Electoral Commission which was observed by FIFA and CAF, the African football governing body.

Mr Danny Jordaan

Also elected to govern football in South Africa with Danny Jordaan are, three vice - presidents namely - Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana (197 votes),

Lucas Nhlapo (173 votes), Elvis Shishana (167 votes. The fourth vice - president for the football association is the premier soccer league chairman, Dr Irvin Khoza.

Read: melvinsports.blogspot.com

There were also 10 national list members of the National Executive Committee. They are as follows: Mr Gladwin White, Mr Kwenzakwakhe Ngwenya, Ms Nomsa Mahlangu, Mr Poobalan Govindasamy, Mr xolile Nkompela, Mr Truman Prince, Ms Rita Ledwaba, Mr Aubrey Baartman,
Advocate Norman Arendse, and Ms Anastasia Tsichlas.

Danny Jordaan, who was newly appointed the advisor to the President of CAF,
after many attempts to be elected into the executive committee of the organisation failed, has his work cut out for him.

Mr Jordaan ran his campaign for the top job, promising to improve the over-all performance of the national team - Bafana Bafana, youth development, improve women football and the finance of the association. So now that he has got the job, the work begins. All eyes are now on him to deliver.

The Louisiana State's Boxing and Wrestling Commission, has enacted an emergency rule, banning Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) women fighters, with breast implants from competing in any state scheduled bouts.

However, the rule stated that fighters, who wants to participate in a bout in the state, must produce a clearance from the doctor, who performed their surgery.

Woman with Breast Implants (O.Shapoval - Dreamtimes)

The new rule covers boxing and mixed martial arts, but not wrestling, which is also a combating sport under the control and regulation of the commission.

The commissioner of the organisation, Mr Harold Williams, said during the meeting, that those who want to look good, should not be in the fighting ring. In order words, one cannot be aiming to appear beautiful and be combating in a brutal sport.

''If they want to look good, then they don't have to be in the ring,'' he said.

What prompted the organisation to act and make such rule now, was that a woman fighter, who was scheduled for a fight in the state, withdrew from the match, due to a problem she was having with her breast implants.

Read: melvinsports.blogspot.com

The Commission decided to act, fearing the financial implications, if a woman develops breast implants problem in a fighting ring.

According to The New Orleans Times-Picayune, the rule was temporary (60 days), as the Commission collects more information on the issue.

Louisiana is the first state in the United Satates, to make such a ban. Maybe some of the other states will follow there example. Breast implants can be very dangerous and life threatening, if it starts to lick, or even got bursted in a bout.

I fully understand the nervousness of the commission on the issue.
It was the correct decision to take, before any disaster takes place in a fight.
What do you think? Do you think that the commission was correct to act.
Please, use the comment link to post your reaction to the ban. Thanks.

Ban On The Liberia Football Chief Lifted

The ban on the Liberia Football Association President, Mr Musa Bility, has been lifted before the six months expiration due date. The Ban was placed on him on May 2, 2013, by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), for ''Violation of statutes relating to the use of confidential documents,'' according to the organisation.

The football governing body in Africa wrote in their website, yesterday that the ban on Mr Musa Hassan Bility, has been lifted with immediate effect.

Mr Bility and his association, was opposed to CAF changing the rules of election, in order to re-elect the president of CAF, Mr Isa Hayatou, unopposed in March this year.

Musa Hassan Bility

 

The LFA president then took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), but unfortunately he lost twice there.

In May, when the ban was announced, Mr Bility told Associated Press, that he had immediately appealed the decision, banning him for six months. He implied, that he was being banned, because of his opposition to CAF changing the rules, so that Isa Hayatou will be re-elected unopposed. He also appealed the $10,000 fine imposed on his association.

The Liberia football chief, said in May, after the ban was imposed on him that ''there was no justification'' for the punishment and that ''it was wrong''.
He added that, it was because he and his federation took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

CAF said, that the reason for the ban was because, Mr Bility, used confidential minutes from their executive committee meetings, without permission to do so.

The 2015 African Cup of Nations Hosts Cities Named

The host cities for the 2015 African Cup of Nations has been announced, by the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the football governing body in Africa.

 

The cities in Morocco to hosts the matches are Agadir, Marrakech, Rabat and Tangier, while Casablanca was named as a reserve venue. The reserve stadium in Casablanca, will be used if any of the afor-mentioned four has any kind of problem, that would make it difficult to use in the tournament.
Read: melvinsports.blogspot.com

Ineligible Players Worries FIFA

The world football governing body - FIFA has said that, the increase in the number of ineligible players, used by some African countries, is a great source of concern to the organisation. During the 2014 World Cup qualification matches, some countries used banned players.

Inspite of severe punishment of forfeiture of the match, with 3 - 0 and the three points awarded to the opponents, the trend seem to be on the increase.

The FIFA director of competitions, Mr Mustapha Fahmy, who happened to be the former secretary-general of Confederation of African Football (CAF), said in the CAF website, that this problem is only happening in Africa, and that FIFA was going to deliberate on the issue.

 

''We have noted with some concern what has happened with a number of teams falling foul to the rules of the competition, which are clearly spelt out.''

''This only happened with one continent, Africa... others like Europe, Asia or South America did not experience the same problems, where disciplinary action had to be taken.

''We need to look into what happened and work on finding solutions and ways to assist (and avoid) similar occurances in future,'' he said.

He added, ''We will come up with possible solutions and discuss them in our courses with member associations.

''We are always looking to improve and provide better organistion for all our competitions,'' Mr Fahmy said.

Read: melvinsports.blogspot.com

It is pertinent to note here, that about eight African countries ran foul of the rules of the competition, during this World Cup qualification matches for Brazil 2014. And inspite of FIFA's punishment of forfeitures, with 3 - 0 and three points awarded to the opponents, the problem continued.

Cape Verde Island, paid dearly for fielding an ineligible player in their last qualifier match against Tunisia, in which they won 2 - 0 and qualified for the play-offs. The Cape Verdians finished on top of the table, and qualified for the play-offs, but FIFA punishment came with 3 - 0 and three points deduction.

 Tunisia was awarded three points, which took them from second position to the first, so they qualified for the play-offs instead. Tunisia will be playing Cameroon in the play-offs in October and November.

The latest country in hot water for this problem is Liberia. FIFA
Disciplinary Committee, has opened proceedings against Liberian Football Association for allegedly, using an ineligible player in the World Cup qualifier match, against Angola on the September 7.

Angola won the match 4 - 1, but finished third on the table while Liberia finished fourth. FIFA has invited the Liberian Football Association, to come and defend themselves with any necessary documents or evidence pertaining to the case.

The Draw For 2014 African Nations Championship

The African Nations Championship (CHAN) draw for the 2014 tournament in South Africa for the group phase is out. The mundial is organised by the African football governing body (CAF) for the home based players alone.

There are four groups of A to D, with each group containing four teams. The top two will qualify for the second round which is the knockout phase. Here is the draw for the group phase.

Group  A             Group  B            Group  C          Group  D
South Africa         Burkina Faso      Ghana                DRC
Nigeria                  Morocco             Congo               Burundi
Mali                      Zimbabwe           Libya                Gabon
Mozambique         Uganda               Ethiopia            Mauritania

 

Group A: This has the host of the tournament - South Africa and Nigeria which is appearing in the tournament for the first time after qualifying by knocking out Ivory Coast on the aggregate of 4 - 3. Nigeria is one of the favourites. Mali is also a strong team in the group, but Mozambique may surprise everyone and qualify.

Group B: In this group, on paper Morocco and Burkina Faso are expected to qualify for the second round but Zimbabwe which beat South Africa last week in a friendly has also a good chance. Uganda has chance also after winning the regional title.

Group C: This group has one of the favourites that may win the title - Ghana, who was the finalist in the first edition against the winner - Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Any of the other three - Libya, Ethiopia and Congo has a chance of qualifying along with Ghana.

Group D: In this group, DRC, the champion of the first edition in 2009, is the favourite to qualify, while Gabon has more chance to go through with the DRC, but you never know, this is football, anything can happen. Burundi and Mauritania may turn-out to be a big surprise and qualify.

The African Nations Championship (CHAN), was first organised in 2009 in Ivory Coast and the second edition was held in Sudan. Next year will be the third edition of the tournament.

World Cup 2014: African Play-offs Drawn

The 2014 World Cup - African play-offs has just been conducted in Cairo, Egypt. The play-offs winners are to be determined by two legs encounters - home and away. The winner then qualify automatically to the Brazil summer mundial. Without much ado, here are the draws:

Ivory Coast      vs   Senegal
Ghana              vs   Egypt
Ethiopia           vs   Nigeria
Tunisia            vs   Cameroon  
Burkina Faso   vs   Algeria

The number one ranked African country in football will be playing against Senegal, the team they met in the African Cup of Nations qualifier match in Dakar, Oct. 2012. Riot broke out in that match as Ivory Coast led 2 - 0 in the match with about 70 minutes played.

 

 The match was abandoned and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the football governing body in Africa, banned Senegal for one year, no home matches would be played in Senegal, so they played all their home games in neutral countries - Guinea and Morocco. The ban will be over by the time Terenge Lions will be playing the return leg in November.

The second ranked African Ghana, will be playing against Egypt - the only country that had 100% results during the qualifying phase. With the ongoing unrest in Egypt, it is not known at the time, this article is being written, whether the Pharaohs will be playing their home game in Cairo or continue to play in El Gouna town, with 12,000 seater stadium.

Algeria is the third ranked country and will be meeting the finalist in the 2013 African Cup of Nations - Burkina Faso. Though Algeria is ranked the third best African team, the Burkinabes has shown that they are a force to reckon with. Their qualification for the play-offs and finalist at the ACN is there as proof for anyone to see.

The fourth seeded team is the current African champions - Nigeria, which is drawn against Ethiopia. It is pertinent to note here, that the two countries has met 7 times already and the champions had the upper hand. Out of the 7 times, Nigeria has won 5 times, drew one and lost one. Nigeria must not underate the Ethiopians, after all they did not qualify for the play-offs by shear accident. They worked hard to be here.

The fifth seed is Tunisia against Cameroon. Tunisia was seeded fifth, because the fifth ranked African team Mali did not qualify for the play-offs, hence Tunisia the sixth ranked. Tunisia did not initially qualify for the play-offs, but last week Cape Verde which qualified, was punished by FIFA with 3 points deduction, for fielding an ineligible player in a match in March 2013.

You can read an article I wrote about this last week, it was titled, ''Tunisia Replaces Cape Verde In The WC Play-offs'' Please check the right hand side of your screen, you will see it, under archieve.

All the first matches will be played between October 11 - 15, while the second ones will be played between November 15 - 19. FIFA notified all the countries involved to submit the dates, venues and times of the matches by Friday this week.