Sports
New African Football League Kick-Off Date Confirmed By FIFA President
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has officially announced that the inaugural season of the new African Football League, consisting of eight clubs, will commence on October 20.
The announcement was made during the General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) held in Abidjan.
The decision to reduce the number of participating clubs from the initially proposed 24 is a result of CAF’s disclosure of a $15.7 million financial loss for the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
Infantino told delegates “It will have eight great teams, which will be followed in the future with a bigger version.
“We have to invest in African club football as well as national team football.”
With just a little over three months remaining until the kick-off, there is limited information available regarding the upcoming African Football League.
CAF has yet to officially confirm the participating clubs, but there are indications that the eight clubs may include Mamelodi Sundowns, the South African champions owned by CAF president Patrice Motsepe’s family, as well as Angola’s Petro Atletico.
Among the other expected participants are TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Al Ahly from Egypt, Horoya from Guinea, Wydad Casablanca from Morocco, Simba from Tanzania, and Esperance from Tunisia.
It is important to note that the African Football League will run in parallel with CAF’s Champions League, which is reserved for domestic league champions across the continent and the new league is not intended to replace the existing tournament.
As of now, specific information regarding broadcasters, sponsors, and logistical aspects of the African Football League has not been disclosed and remains undisclosed.
In recent years, CAF president Patrice Motsepe has expressed his desire to enhance the appeal of African football on a global scale. The introduction of the new league is considered a vital component in achieving this goal.
“We have recognised for many years that African football players have been among the best in the world, but we have to improve the appeal of African football, its commercial viability and its capacity to sustain itself,” Motsepe told delegates.
Despite experiencing a financial loss in the previous financial year, CAF announced a positive development with a 17 percent increase in revenues, reaching $125.2 million. They anticipate further growth in the upcoming 2023/2024 period.
The deficit incurred by CAF was not entirely surprising, as it resulted from an out-of-court settlement made with the commercial agency Lagardere in November of the previous year.
The settlement amount remains undisclosed. This legal action followed the cancellation of a 10-year television and marketing rights deal worth $1 billion in 2019
Mohamed Salah has officially extended his stay at Liverpool, signing a new contract that will keep him at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season.
The Egyptian forward, now 32, continues to shine for the Reds and remains central to the club’s ambitions going forward.
In another standout campaign, Salah has scored 32 goals in 45 matches across all competitions, including 27 in the Premier League, where he currently leads the goal-scoring charts.
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He’s also provided 22 assists, highlighting his all-round contribution to the team.
Speaking after putting pen to paper, Salah shared his enthusiasm for the future.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.”
Since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, Salah has established himself as one of the club’s greatest-ever players.
With 243 goals in 394 appearances, he sits third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list.
During his time at Anfield, he’s helped the team win seven major honours, including the Premier League and Champions League.
Reflecting on his journey so far, Salah added: “It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.”
His continued presence at the club is expected to be a huge boost for new manager Arne Slot, who is preparing for his first full season at the helm.
Salah’s leadership, experience, and consistent output will be vital as Liverpool chase more silverware.
Individually, Salah’s accolades include three Premier League Golden Boot awards, two PFA Players’ Player of the Year titles, and two FWA Footballer of the Year honours.
With a heartfelt message to the supporters, Salah said, “I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
Southampton have parted ways with manager Ivan Juric following the club’s relegation from the Premier League, the club confirmed in a statement released Monday.
The decision comes just 24 hours after the Saints were officially condemned to the drop with a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
The loss cemented Southampton’s place at the bottom of the table, sealing their relegation with seven games still to play – a new Premier League record for the earliest demotion, surpassing Derby County (2008) and Huddersfield Town (2019), who both went down with six matches remaining.
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Juric, 49, was appointed in December to replace Russell Martin, inheriting a side already entrenched in relegation danger.
However, his tenure failed to inspire a turnaround, yielding just one league victory – away at Ipswich in February – in 17 matches. Southampton have lost 25 of their 31 Premier League fixtures this season, including seven of their last eight.
“We can confirm that we have today reached an agreement with our men’s first-team manager, Ivan Juric, to end his spell at the club,” Southampton said in a club statement.
“Ivan came to Southampton at a tough time and was tasked with trying to improve a squad in a difficult situation. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.”
Simon Rusk will take charge as interim manager for the remainder of the season, supported by former Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana.
With their return to the Championship now confirmed, the club emphasized the importance of providing clarity as they prepare for a crucial summer of rebuilding.
“We remain incredibly grateful for the ongoing support of our fans. Their continued dedication and passion, despite what has been a very tough season, is remarkable and is appreciated by everyone at the club,” the statement added.
“Despite the challenges that relegation will bring, our goal is to restore a sense of pride for them in their team and club once again.”
Southampton earned promotion to the Premier League last season through the Championship play-offs but have endured a torrid campaign in the top flight.
Abia State took its turn to play host to the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) torch tour in brief ceremonies at the Umuahia Township Stadium and at the Government House.
The state Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Hon Nwaobilor Ananaba Nwadinma received the torch at the Umuahia Township Stadium before leading Team Abia to the Government House where it was presented to the Executive Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti.
On arrival at the Government House, Team Abia was treated to a sumptuous dinner with the governor.
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The team then proceeded to the governor’s yard, where the torch was lit and presented to the governor by the commissioner to the admiration of everyone who witnessed the lighting of the torch.
In his speech the governor charged Team Abia to go and conquer in Uyo and come back to receive a state reception.
Gov Otti expressed appreciation to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for initiating the sports festival, which he noted will go a long way to create unity, spot and harness untapped talents in the Niger Delta states.
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