Author: Abdulgafar Oladimeji

Asia: AFC Annual Football Awards Seoul 2023, Yazan Young-woo, Kiko tops the list The spotlight will be shone firmly on the AFC Annual Awards Seoul 2023 come October 29 when the Player of the Year winners are revealed at the glittering ceremony. Six of Asia’s very best are in the running for the most prestigious accolade of the night at the Grand Peace Palace in Kyung Hee University, in recognition of their outstanding performances for club and country. Yazan Al Naimat, Seol Young-woo and Akram Afif will vie for the AFC Player of the Year prize, while Cortnee Vine, Kiko…

Again, CAF snubs  Nigerian referees, corruption, poor remuneration, and weak development programmes is responsible By Abdulgafar Oladimeji The Confederation  of African Football, CAF has released the names of referees that would officiate at the 2024  CAF African Women’s Champions league, that would be hosted in Morocco, no Nigerian referee  made the  list. Africa’s football governing body had released the names of the referees that would be on parade in the league , they were drawn from across African countries, non inclusion of referees from Nigeria has stirred up concerns from across sections of Africa’s largest football nation. The list of…

Inter Miami CF has become the penultimate club to seal a spot at the new FIFA Club World Cup™ after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield, confirming them as the best team throughout the 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season. Inter Miami qualifies as the host country representative team on the basis of the club’s outstanding and consistent 34-match campaign that saw them secure the shield with two MLS matches to play. Inter Miami will also open the tournament as the host team and play in the inaugural game of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ in their hometown…

Ub Huishan NE win FIBA 3×3 World Tour Macau 2024 Ub Huishan NE (SRB) hold the throne as they defeat Paris (FRA) 21 – 16 to win the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Macau on October 20. Standing tall in pole position with 4 stop wins in the season, most recently winning in Amsterdam last week, the Serbian Giants continued their stride in Macau. They went unbeaten on their way to the final, last defeating a powerhouse in Riffa in the Semis. Strahinja Stojacic had been the offensive hub for Ub all tournament, starring in yet another MVP calibre-season. They were…

The Confédération Africaine de Football (“CAF”) will hold its Executive Committee (“EXCO”) meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, 21 October 2024. The Executive Committee meeting, to be chaired by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, will start at 10h30 local time (07h30 GMT). The meeting will be held ahead of the 46th Ordinary General Assembly which will also take place in the Ethiopian capital on Tuesday, 22 October 2024 at 10h00 local time (07h00 GMT).

Opinion: Rivers United/3SC Alleged Poor officiating saga: Barrister Chris Green Should have kept quiet but…Mr VAR By Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR*). Sequel to the alleged poor officiating against a member of Niger State Football Referee Council, Abubakar Abdullahi in Porth Harcourt, during Match Day 7 encounter in the Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL between Rivers United and Shooting Stars Football Club, 3SC of Ibadan and sprinkling of uncensored substance inside the net by the home team, the former Chairman, Technical Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF Barrister Christopher Green has decided to touch the tail of a cobra by…

Basketball: FIBA launches new digital offering , including unique website dedicated to fans FIBA has a new and exciting digital offering in place after launching a fresh website ecosystem which will ensure that already stunning levels of fan engagement continue to rise. Capitalizing on the impressive growth and popularity of the sport, FIBA has just launched FIBA Basketball, fiba.basketball, the ultimate go-to platform for basketball enthusiasts, providing a one-stop experience for all FIBA competition-related content and beyond. The website offers the perfect blend of FIBA’s competition content, including news, videos, photos and brand new editorial features. Fans will never miss…

Saudi Women’s Football : My dream is to empower women in football – Aalia AlRasheed In the latest episode of “It’s My Game,” the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on Aalia AlRasheed, Head of the Women’s Football Department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and one of the driving forces behind the rapid growth of the women’s game in the Kingdom. Her and SAFF’s efforts have not only transformed the landscape of women’s football in Saudi Arabia, but also set the foundation for the next generation of players, coaches and officials. Recognising the immense passion for the sport among young women…

Dominican Republic 2024: Olowookere confident Flamingos will sail past Ecuador Head Coach Bankole Olowookere has no doubts that Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, will have another great day in the office when they take on debutants Ecuador on Saturday in their second match of Group A at the ongoing FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in the Dominican Republic. “Our tournament strategy is to focus on the next match, take it one match at a time. We need not look farther than the next match, and now, we have Ecuador in our sights. The Ecuadorians have shown, with their defeat of the…

Italian Water Polo team banned from all Aquatic events The Italian men’s water polo team will miss next year’s World Cup after being banned “from taking part in any World Aquatics competitions and events” for six months by the adjudicatory body of the Aquatics Integrity Unit (AQIU) for abusing referees and officials at the Paris Olympics. The incident, which occurred after Italy’s quarter-final loss to Hungary at the Games, is a violation of Article 5 of the World Aquatics Integrity Code, according to the AQIU, which also imposed a fine of $50,000 (£41,500) as part of the sanction. AGGRESSIVE CONDUCT…