#african-football-finance

#african-football-finance

The table is so tight that the title race and the fight to survive relegation looks like going to the wire, with teams battling for Europe still also looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone.

In late 2025, the United States shocked the world by suspending global health aid, leading experts to predict 700,000 additional deaths annually, primarily among children. This prompted the US to propose unusual bilateral health agreements with developing countries, which have drawn criticism for being exploitative.

The ongoing discussions regarding future structural changes to the game, such as the introduction of new tournaments (eg. Fifa Club World Cup), further intensify this challenge. These changes have the potential to significantly reduce the downtime available to elite players, affecting their recovery and overall well-being.

"I am a Muslim, alhamdulillah. Yesterday at the stadium, the chant 'whoever doesn't jump is a Muslim' was heard. I know it was aimed at the opposing team and wasn't something personal against me, but as a Muslim, it is nonetheless disrespectful and intolerable."

The FRMF welcomes the decision, which reaffirms the primacy of competition regulations and reinforces the conditions necessary for the proper conduct of international tournaments, the federation said in a statement on Thursday.

As a person who was on the appeals board for six years I know that it does not have the power to change the on-field decision of a referee. I cannot understand how they came to this disgraceful decision. It has also left members of the Caf executive committee furious, knowing that point 5.2 of the laws of the game makes it clear that the decisions of a referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final.

We will contact our lawyers and file an appeal. We will stop at nothing. The law is on our side. This decision is a disgrace for Africa. The timing is really bad. CAF should have taken a decision earlier, quicker. The situation has only rotted more and more.

Fifa fined the NFF 1,000 Swiss francs ($1,270; 950) after determining that the federation had failed to ensure proper "order and security", particularly following the "throwing of objects" by spectators during the game. The incident was deemed a violation under Article 17.2.b and Article 17 of the Fifa disciplinary code.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) will long be remembered for the way it finished. There were chaotic scenes at the end of regulation time in the final, when the award of a penalty to Morocco sparked a walk-off from Senegal and led to a delay of over 16 minutes before Brahim Diaz had his Panenka attempt saved. Atlas Lions boss Walid Regragui decried the incident as "shameful", and the Confederation of African Football (Caf) is yet to announce the sanctions.

Several presidents of African football federations have told the Guardian they were not informed of the decision until it was surprisingly announced by the Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, on 20 December, prompting claims that the confederation breached its statutes by failing to seek approval at a general assembly. That is based on a contention that major changes to competition formats must be ratified by the 54 member associations, although that has been disputed by senior sources at Caf.