2014 World Cup - Ghana - squad - Jeffery Schlupp dropped from 23-man squad

Leicester City's Jeffery Schlupp has been axed from Ghana's 2014 World Cup squad. The defender is one of three players dropped from the preliminary 26-man World Cup squad announced on 12 May.

1 Jun 2014
African Champions League 2014 - TP Mazembe sign Zimbabwe midfielder Ali Sadiki

Democratic Republic of Congo champions TP Mazembe have signed Zimbabwe international midfielder Ali Sadiki.

31 May 2014
2014 World Cup - warm up - Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Ivory Coast 2:1

Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure has contracted malaria and missed the 2:1 defeat by Bosnia-Herzegovina in a world Cup Warm-up on Saturday. Yaya Toure also missed the friendly in St Louis with a muscle problem. The pair's absence was felt by the Elephants, who fell to a double strike by Edin Dzeko.

31 May 2014
2015 Africa Cup qualifier - first round second leg - fixtures

Constantine aims to inspire Rwanda in Africa Cup qualifiers Englishman Stephen Constantine takes charge of Rwanda for the first time this weekend and has the chance to make an instant impact by causing an upset in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

30 May 2014
2014 World Cup - warm up - Nigeria vs Scotland 2:2

Substitute Uche Nwofor's late strike denied Scotland victory against Nigeria at Craven Cottage.

29 May 2014
2014 World Cup - Cameroon agree fees with players

Cameroon's Football Federation and the country's government have agreed to pay FCFA 50m (US$104,000) to each player in the final 23-man World Cup squad.

28 May 2014
NATIONAL TEAM - GHANA - COACH - Kwesi Appiah given new contract

Appiah, a former Black Stars captain, was appointed in April 2012 with objectives to win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify the side for the 2014 World Cup.

27 May 2014
African Champions League 2014 - Krol sacked by Esperance after second defeat

Previously, he had coached another Tunisian side, CS Sfaxien, who he lead to the Confederation Cup last November. He replaced Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, who took up the role of technical director. Krol's backroom staff have also been dismissed. 

27 May 2014
2014 World Cup - warm up - Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o was rested

Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o was rested as his side's injury problems mounted ahead of the World Cup during the win against Macedonia in Austria.

27 May 2014

FIFA - CANDIDATE Luis Figo pulls out of election

Luís Figo

 

Ex-Portugal midfielder Figo, 42, pulled out on the same day as Van Pragg, 67, to leave Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan as Blatter's only rival.

Blatter is favourite to win a fifth term as president and Figo said: "This process is anything but an election.

"This process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man - something I refuse to go along with."

Each of Fifa's 209 member associations have a vote in the election and Van Praag, who is president of the Dutch football federation, says he will now support Prince Ali.

The English Football Association also intend to support Prince Ali, while the Scottish FA had previously said they would back Van Praag.

The Dutchman held a joint news conference with Prince Ali in Amsterdam on Thursday, urging his supporters to get behind the Jordanian to unseat Blatter.

"Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein convincingly demonstrated that at this moment in time he is the candidate who has the biggest chance to challenge Sepp Blatter," Van Praag said.

"It is impossible that Fifa moves on with its current presidency," he added.

Figo also highlighted the need for change in his withdrawal statement.

"I travelled and met extraordinary people who, though they recognized the value of much that had been done, also concurred with the need for change, one that cleans up Fifa's reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption," he said.

"I have seen with my own eyes federation presidents who, after one day comparing Fifa leaders to the devil, then go on stage and compare those same people with Jesus Christ. 

Nobody told me about this. 

I saw it with my own eyes."

He also questioned an election process in which a main candidate - Blatter - had not produced a manifesto "so that federation presidents know what they're voting for".

Figo added: "There has not been a single public debate about each candidate's proposals."

The latest withdrawal comes after another presidential candidate, Frenchman Jerome Champagne, a former Fifa deputy general secretary, pulled out in February.

Former Tottenham and Newcastle midfielder David Ginola, backed by a betting company, originally announced his intention to stand against Blatter in January, but withdrew two weeks later.

The vote will be held in Zurich at Fifa's annual congress and requires the winning candidate to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round of voting.

If subsequent rounds are required then a simple majority is all that is required for victory.

 

 

22 May 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

Related articles