Sports
Are The Walls Closing In On CAF President?
The events of the recent weeks have made it increasingly clear that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) head honcho may lack the chops to lead
It will only really become apparent, in time, just how seismic, and potentially damaging, the recent weeks have been for the Confederation of African Football.
It is not so much what happens as how one handles it, but it is important to establish what came before.
On the 31st of May, the CAF Champions League final second leg took place in Rades, Tunis. Defending champions, Esperance, fresh from a 1-1 result from the first leg in Rabat, welcomed Wydad Casablanca with the odds firmly stacked in their favour, thanks to the away goal.
However, behind the scenes, trouble had already begun to brew.
Hawk-Eye innovations, tasked with providing the equipment for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, had been unable to get it across to Tunisia in time. This meant that the second leg would have to be played without it, in contrast to the first.
It is unclear whether or not this state of affairs was relayed to both teams, and whether that would have forestalled what was about to happen. In any case, the match kicked off with the VAR monitor propped up, in what now appears to have been a face-saving move on the part of CAF.
Esperance took the lead five minutes before the break, taking the advantage in the tie, but it did not really change Wydad’s mandate: they had come into the game needing to score anyway. It was all set up for a cracker of a second half.
On the hour mark, however, it all blew up.
Wydad thought they had got an equalizer when midfielder Walid El-Karti darted into the box to head home from a cross. The linesman’s flag, however, went up to annul the goal, a decision which incensed the Moroccan side.
It then returns to what report one believes as to whether both teams were advised beforehand of the absence of VAR. If, as Esperance claim, they were, then what followed by Wydad was gamesmanship of the highest order: they insisted, vehemently, that the goal be reviewed by the system.
Even if one were to believe Wydad’s claim that they were not informed of the technical issues beforehand, it displayed an ignorance of the workings of VAR, as it is not the players’ place to demand a review, as is the case in, say, tennis.
Their protests would hold up the game, pulling CAF President Ahmad Ahmad from the stands and onto the pitch itself in search of a solution to the ensuing mayhem. After a wait that lasted well over 30 minutes, the decision was apparently reached that Wydad’s actions constituted a forfeit, and so the game was awarded to Esperance, as was the trophy.
A presentation took place, and captain Khalil Chemmam held the trophy aloft, celebrating a second Caf Champions League triumph in a row.
That, however, was only the beginning, and set the stage for what could potentially become one of the most damaging decisions in the history of African football.
Wydad, smouldering still at the perceived injustice of it all, decided they would appeal, and after consultations, the president of the Morocco FA, Fouzi Lekjaa, indicated they would be throwing their entire weight behind the complaint. Four days after the final, in Paris, Caf ruled that the second leg should be replayed at a neutral venue, and that Esperance would be required to return the trophy, as well as the medals they had received in the presentation ceremony.
For a number of reasons, it was a worrying decision. For one thing, there has been a suspicion that Ahmad enjoys a lot of support from Morocco, and so this is already being construed as the president of Caf dancing to the tune of his benefactor.
Also, in keeping with the theme but in a broader sense, sub-Saharan Africa has, over time, grown increasingly irritated with North Africa’s entitlement where Caf competition is concerned. That they are now seen to be dictating to Caf does nothing to improve that perception, and will only stoke that resentment.
Optics aside, the precedent it all sets is a concern.
VAR, for all that it is the future, is only a recent addition to the African game, and was only in place for the finals. Surely, the integrity of the event should not hinge and turn upon its presence; indeed, it is not stated in the laws of the game that, in its absence, a game should not take place. This makes Wydad’s refusal to continue tantamount to a forfeit, and as such the initial decision to award the trophy was the correct one, even acknowledging that the Moroccan side has a legitimate grievance (the goal, as TV replays would show, should have been allowed to stand).
The sense of farce would only deepen.
Twelve hours after that decision was reached, Ahmad was arrested and taken in for questioning by the French police.
There were no details released, but reportedly this was to do with a sports equipment procurement contract for the Championship of African Nations in 2018 that was awarded to French company Tactical Steel at a huge mark-up, despite an agreement already being in place with the manufacturers.
While he was eventually released without charge – as Caf have been particularly eager to stress through their various communication channels – it does heighten the sense that Africa’s football leadership is constantly teetering on the brink of chaos, and all it takes is the slightest gust to send it over the edge.
What it does seem like, as each day passes, is that Ahmad’s lack of capacity and suitability for the job will inevitably do him in…the only question is when.
Solace Chukwu
West Ham boosted their Premier League survival aspirations with a vital win at Burnley, whose own hopes appear increasingly forlorn.
While the Hammers remain 18th in the table, they are now just three points from safety with second-bottom Burnley 11 adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Given Burnley have now failed to record a top-flight victory since 26th October, a sequence stretching back 16 games, and have managed just three all season, it would take a remarkable reversal of fortunes for Scott Parker’s side to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
Meanwhile, West Ham will take heart after this success, which always seemed likely once Crysencio Summerville clipped the ball over advancing home goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, to give them a 13th-minute lead.
It continued the Dutch winger’s rich vein of form as he registered his fifth goal in as many games in all competitions and ensured Nuno Espirito Santo’s team capitalised on their superiority.
Nigeria’s Falconets secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Senegal in their FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup qualifier, but the result was overshadowed by a serious injury to star forward Janet Akekoromowei, Tidesports source reports.
The first half was goalless but intense, with Nigeria carving out the clearer chances. The Falconets’ best opportunity came in the 33rd minute when Shakirat Moshood surged in from the right flank, skipped past two Senegal defenders and fired narrowly wide.
A minute later, Moshood turned provider, slipping the ball to Akekoromowei inside the six-yard box, but the forward also failed to hit the target.
The defining moment of the match arrived in the 38th minute. Akekoromowei embarked on a solo run, dribbling through the same channel she had exploited moments earlier before releasing a pass to Moshood.
As play continued, Akekoromowei went down in visible pain. Moshood, bearing down on goal, crossed into the area but Senegal’s packed defence managed to clear.
It soon became apparent that Akekoromowei had suffered a dislocated ankle. Medics rushed onto the pitch, and she was stretchered off, prompting gasps and anxious scenes among players and supporters close to the touchline.
She was immediately placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital, with Folajomi Olabiyi introduced as her replacement.
Nigeria went into the break at 0–0, their momentum disrupted and the mood visibly subdued following the injury to one of their most influential players. Despite the setback, the Falconets regrouped after the interval and went on to edge the tie, keeping their World Cup qualification hopes firmly alive.
The Falconets regrouped after the break and finally broke the deadlock six minutes after the restart. From a well-delivered corner kick, Kindness Ifeanyi rose highest to power a header beyond Adji Ndiaye, giving Nigeria the lead. The goalscorer nearly doubled the advantage in the 66th minute, but the Senegal goalkeeper stretched full length to push her effort away.
Nigeria maintained their pressure as Senegal struggled to cope with the high tempo. A dangerous free kick from the edge of the box sailed just over the crossbar, while Moshood was again denied from close range in the 73rd minute. Three minutes later, Adeshina struck the crossbar directly from a corner kick on the right as the Falconets pressed for a second goal.
Despite their dominance, Nigeria had to settle for the lone goal, which they successfully protected until the final whistle.
Akekoromowei’s injury was keenly felt by her teammates. Captain Joy Igbokwe admitted the incident shook the side but praised their resolve.
“Yes, we missed her because she is one of our key players, and when the injury occurred, we almost fell apart, but our coach encouraged us that we just had to continue no matter what,” Igbokwe said after the match.
“We miss her so much, and I am using this medium to wish her a speedy recovery.”
Head coach Moses Aduku said an update on the forward’s condition would follow once further assessments had been carried out.
“For Janet, there is no information yet because we just finished the game,” Aduku said. “When we get back to the hotel, I think we will get the information.”
Akekoromowei’s absence would be a major blow for the Falconets. The Bayelsa Queens forward is the reigning Nigeria Women Football League most valuable player and one of the brightest prospects in Nigerian women’s football.
She has attracted interest from several European clubs, including Barcelona, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain, and has been central to Nigeria’s qualification campaign, having already scored in the earlier rounds against Rwanda.
At just 18, Akekoromowei has enjoyed a rapid rise, starring for Nasarawa Amazons last season before moving to Bayelsa Queens, and gaining experience at the previous U-20 World Cup in Colombia.
Nigeria will now await news on her recovery as they balance the satisfaction of victory with concern over the fitness of one of their most prized assets, as the two sides will meet again in Dakar on Saturday, with the aggregate winner advancing to the final round of the qualification series.
Preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games have entered full delivery phase, with venue works and operational readiness advancing as the Games year begins.
The update was presented to the 145th International Olympic Committee Session by Dakar 2026 Organising Committee President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye and General Coordinator Ibrahima Wade.
Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange highlighted the great progress and tangible momentum towards the Games while noting that priorities would be monitored and systematically addressed.
Venue renovations are designed to support long-term access for young athletes, while the Youth Olympic Village will subsequently be turned into student accommodation.
“We are now in Games year, with exactly 270 days to go until the Opening Ceremony,” Ndiaye told IOC members, stressing that preparations are underpinned by strengthened governance and close-monitoring framework established with the IOC and Games delivery partners.
Wade expressed confidence in meeting deadlines, saying the Olympic Village, track and field stadium, and swimming facility will be ready by March, with venuisation set for May.
“The excitement is there for the continent. I think it’s monumental that the Games are coming to Africa for the first time,” Kayange said.
He noted that government support increased significantly at the end of last year, with different ministries coming together to ensure work is monitored on a weekly basis towards completion.
Public engagement continues to build through milestone celebrations, including the One-Year-To-Go festivities and the fourth edition of the Dakar en Jeux festival.
The Dakar 2026 OMEGA countdown clock now provides a daily reminder in the heart of the capital.
Through the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy, nearly 200 of the 400 available places are currently filled, with participants from 25 African National Olympic Committees set to join the organising committee.
The Jambaar26 volunteer programme, launched in December, aims to mobilise 6,000 volunteers across Senegal.
“Beyond the sports venues and accommodation, the legacy of Dakar 2026 will be formidable, trained young human capital across Africa,” Kayange said.
The arrival of the Olympic flame in September will be marked by a nationwide tour across all 14 regions of Senegal and local celebrations across the continent.
Dakar 2026 will take place from October 31 to November 13, 2026, bringing together around 2,700 young athletes aged up to 17 across three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
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