Sports
Chelsea Face Severe Points Sanction
Chelsea reportedly face the threat of a more severe points deduction than Everton and Nottingham Forest as a result of their elaborate spending.
Since the Todd Boehly-led ownership team took charge at Stamford Bridge in May 2022, the Blues have splashed out more than £1 billion ($1.3bn) in the transfer market. Premier League teams are only allowed to post losses of up to £105million ($134m) across a three-year period, leaving Chelsea at serious risk of incurring the same kind of penalties as Everton and Forest , who have had six and four points taken off them respectively in the 2023-24 campaign.
Football Finance expert, Stefan Borson, has told Tidesports source of where Chelsea stand at present: “There was an assumption with Mason Mount, because he was announced on Manchester United’s website on July 1 that [his sale] had been put into this current season. So the £55million ($70m) of profit was in this season. It now transpires that Mason Mount appears to have been transacted in 2022-23 and that is how they got through [FFP rules]. We also know from the BlueCo accounts that they are currently, from the post-balance sheet events, that they are something like £48million ($61m) in profit for this year. But of course, this year from an operating perspective, is going to be even worse than last year because they’ve got no Champions League and no Europe at all.”
He added on what Chelsea need from the next window: “Really, they have to find buyers for Trevoh Chalobah for £20million ($26m), Armando Broja for £40milliom ($51m), and Conor Gallagher for £50million ($64m). It’s those sort of deals that need to be done. And by the way, they all need to be done by June 30. That, as we know, is articulated within the Forest decision. There’s a whole conversation about how hard it is to sell players in the period before June. The Premier League actually suggested that more or less that it was impossible.”
With that in mind, and with the Blues struggling to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), Borson went on to say when asked if the west London heavyweights could be stung with harsher punishments than those that have already been handed out: “Yeah. Well, possibly more severe. I think the scale of the losses they’re currently forecasting, to me, appear to be vastly in excess of both Everton and Nottingham Forest.”
Nigeria has won the bid to host the next edition of the prestigious All Africa Challenge Trophy in 2026.
The AACT is a biennial continental ladies’ golf championship in Africa that had its inaugural edition in May 1992 in Zimbabwe.
Nigeria hosted the AACT in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938, while in 2010, the AACT was played at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, in Abuja.
This would be the third time Nigeria will be hosting the championship.
Interestingly, the West and Central Africa Challenge Trophy (a regional version of the championship) was held for the first time in Nigeria at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estates and Resort, Lagos, in 2023.
Evelyn Oyome, the President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation to the championship’s 16th edition in Morocco, said Nigeria emerged winner amongst the 20 countries that took part in the bidding process.
“Nigeria had earlier hosted the West, Central Africa Challenge Trophy in October last year at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate and Resort in Lagos, showcasing its outstanding golfing facilities, with no fewer than 10 countries participating.
“So, hosting that championship successfully last year gave us the edge amongst so many other countries that also bidded and winning was a huge victory for Nigeria,” she said.
Oyome revealed that the Federal Capital Territory would be the host city for the AACT 2026 edition, with no fewer than 30 countries expected to participate in the championship.
Super Eagles B co-handler Fidelis Ilechukwu has revealed that Kano Pillars duo Ahmed Musa and Shehu Abdullahi were initially listed in the 30-man squad for the 2024 CHAN qualifiers double header clash against Ghana, but were dropped over their ineligibility.
Musa and Shehu, who made sensational returns to Kano Pillars this season, were conspicuously missing when the Nigeria Football Federation revealed the names of 30 Nigeria Premier Football League stars for the assignment.
The CHAN Eagles are currently camping in Ikenne, Ogun State. They will play the first leg of their encounter in Accra on Sunday, December 22 before returning to Uyo for the return leg on Saturday, December 28.
“I was told he (Musa) didn’t meet up with the conditions of playing in the CHAN tournament or qualifiers,” Ilechukwu told our correspondent.
“Ahmed Musa was on our list, there is no way we wouldn’t have included him in the list with his performances in the league but they told us to replace him due to eligibility.
When asked if the same applied to Shehu, the coach replied in the affirmative.
According to CAF regulations, only footballers playing in their country of birth are eligible.
While the above rule favours both Musa and Shehu, their participation was perhaps made difficult by another CAF regulation which says, “Only players with a permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship” – as both players are in the NPFL under the Elite Player Scheme.
According to section 9.91 of the NPFL Framework and Rules, “There shall be an Elite Player Scheme wherein each Club shall be allowed to register a maximum of two players who in the opinion of the NPFL will add value to the league.”
The Federal Capital Territory is set to host the 2024 Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
In a statement released yesterday, the Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, confirmed that all arrangements have been finalised for the AGA, which will take place at Fabino by Toprank Hotels, Abuja.
The AGA meeting promises to be a significant gathering in charting a way forward for the women’s football rising agenda and the women’s football leagues in Nigeria.
Key stakeholders, including board members and representatives of Premiership and Championship clubs, will review the successes and challenges of the outgone 2023/2024 season.
Notably, Edo Queens emerged champions of the NWFL Premiership for the first time, while Honey Badgers and Ibom Angels secured promotion to the Premiership from the NWFL Championship.
The AGM will also focus on sustaining the league’s growing credibility and improving operations while setting the calendar and start date for the 2024/2025 NWFL Premiership and Championship campaigns.
This pivotal meeting aims to further strengthen women’s football in Nigeria and lay the groundwork for the league’s continued growth.
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