IFFHS STATISTICS AND NEWS OF THE WEEK 10
CAF GENERAL SECRETARY RESIGNS AND IS REPALCED BY INTERIM
The CAF General Secreatary, Mouad Hajji who resigned on Monday, March 2nd, 2020 “for personal reasons” has been replaced by the Abdelmounaim Bah some twenty four hours after the former’s resignation
Mr. Mouad who was appointed General Secretary of CAF on April 11, 2019, had requested in his resignation letter handed to CAF President Ahmad Ahmad “for notice of his departure back to his country to be shortened.” Mr. Ahmad accepted the appeal in spite of the fact that the statutes of the football-governing body stipulate that resignations and appointments must be submitted to the Executive Committee. However, and while awaiting the next Executive Committee Meeting, CAF Emergency Committee met yesterday and statutorily appointed the body’s Director of Publicity as Acting General Secretary.
Since Malagasy Ahmad Ahmad defeated long-serving President Cameroonian Issa Hayatou in 2017 to become CAF boss, his administration has been characterized by a lot of controversial happenings ranging from movement in dates of key competitions, financial scandals, discontent amongst members, but also in vigorous attempts to raise the level of the African game.
MOHAMED SALAH SCORES HISTORIC 70TH GOAL IN 100 APPEARANCES FOR LIVERPOOL
Egypt and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah scored in Liverpool’s come-back 2-1 defeat of Bournemouth yesterday, Saturday to tally 70 in 100 appearances for the same club, Liverpool. By so doing, the 27-year-old becomes not only the club’s highest overseas scorer of all-time, but also the first Liverpool player since Michael Owen during the 2002/2003 season to score 20 goals in all competitions in three consecutive campaigns.
With his 70 goals, Mosalah pushes Fernando Torres(63), Robbie Fowler(62), and Luis Suarez(62) to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th spots, respectively, in the rankings of the most goals scored in the first 100 Premier League appearances for Liverpool.
If Salah could score 10 more goals before the end of the season, he would surpass Alan Shearer’s 79-goal record in the colors of Blackburn Rovers and so become the all-time highest scorer in the first 100 Premier League appearances for a single team. For now, the Egyptian has overtaken Ruud van Nistelrooy of Manchester United, and Sergio Aguero of Manchester City with 68 and 64 goals to their credits, respectively.
CAMEROON HEALTH MINISTER REASSURES FANS OVER CORONAVIRUS
Cameroon Public Health Minister has reassured fans and delegations to attend the upcoming African Nations Football Championships, CHAN Cameroon 2020 that the detection of a coronavirus patient in the capital city of Yaounde yesterday has prompted swift government intervention as to prevent any spread of the disease in the country.
The patient, a 58-year-old French citizen who arrived in Cameroon on February 24th, Minister Malachie Malaouda indicated in a press conference today, was detected yesterday courtesy of surveillance put in place since the outbreak of the COVID-19 VIRUS, and has been placed in solitary confinement in the Care Centre of the Yaounde Central Hospital for appropriate treatment.
Cameroon is scheduled to host the 2020 African Nations Football Championships for local players from April 4-25, with players, officials and fans from sixteen countries, including Cameroon to be hosted in four different towns of the country.
FORMER GHANA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION BOSS CHARGED WITH FRAUD
The former President of the Ghana Football Association, GFA, Kwesi Nyantakyi was charged yesterday, March 4th 2020, for fraud by a high court in Accra. It was the verdict of a litigation sparked off by an undercover 2018 documentary by the Ghanaian journalist Anas Aremeyaw which showed the former football boss asking for kickbacks to the tone of $US65,000.
The State prosecutors stated emphatically that Kwesi who pleaded not guilty in court had been seen in the documentary vouching “to sign a Memorandum of Understanding” on behalf of a fictitious company. However, the former GFA boss, banned for life by FIFA in 2018 from all football-related activities on grounds of corruption, was released on a $186,000 bail ahead of resumption of proceedings next March 25.
It would be recalled that the 2018 undercover investigation into unorthodox practices in the handling of the African game led to the life-ban of several Ghanaian referees, as well as the
FIFA has taken note of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to reject the appeal of Mr. Platini, which the Court considered to be manifestly ill-founded. This judgment is in line with the decision of FIFA’s Ethics Committee, which was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sports and also by the Swiss Federal Tribunal.
FIFA will continue to seek restitution of the CHF 2 million unduly paid by former FIFA President Joseph Blatter to Mr. Platini back in February 2011.
MOUKOKO’S RECORD !
At 15, Youssoufa Moukoko is one of the greatest talents in the World. Born in Cameroon and living in Germany, he plays for Borussia Dortmund U19 in the Bundesliga. Last week, he scored goals number 33 and 34 in 20 matches ! He beats so the German record of 33 ! Last year, he scored 46 goals in the U17 Bundesliga at 14 (Record in Germany) ! Lucien Favre ,the Dortmund coach, will give him his first minutes with the first team in March …
120 YEARS FOR FC BAYERN
UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE 2020/21
League A
Group 1: Netherlands, Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland
Group 2: England, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland
Group 3: Portugal, France, Sweden, Croatia
Group 4: Switzerland, Spain, Ukraine, Germany
League B
Group 1: Austria, Norway, Northern Ireland, Romania
Group 2: Czech Republic, Scotland, Slovakia, Israel
Group 3: Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Hungary
Group 4: Wales, Finland, Republic of Ireland, Bulgaria
League C
Group 1: Montenegro, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan
Group 2: Georgia, North Macedonia, Estonia, Armenia
Group 3: Greece, Kosovo, Slovenia, Moldova
Group 4: Albania, Belarus, Lithuania, Kazakhstan
League D
Group 1: Faroe Islands, Latvia, Andorra, Malta
Group 2: Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, San Marino
SCHEDULE
Matchday 1: 3–5 September 2020
Matchday 2: 6–8 September 2020
Matchday 3: 8–10 October 2020
Matchday 4: 11–13 October 2020
Matchday 5: 12–14 November 2020
Matchday 6: 15–17 November 2020
Finals: 2, 3, 6 June 2021
Relegation play-offs: 24, 25, 28, 29 March 2022