#FIFAGATE: CONMEBOL President To Be Extradited To The USA

Paraguay’s Juan Angel Napout who was arrested by at an hotel in Zurich last week by Swiss Authorities is believed to have agreed to be extradited to the USA after being named in the ongoing major investigation into several corrupt deals regarding hosting and media rights for FIFA World Cups.

Napout is the president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) and he has joined the growing list of FIFA executives who are alleged to have received bribes over a period of years.

American Football administrator and former CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer was one of the first FIFA executives to be arrested by the US Justice Department followed by Trinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner who was a former FIFA Vice President and a past president of North, Central America and Caribbean Confederation (CONCACAF).

Sepp Blatter, Jerome Valcke, Michel Platini have all been fingered in the ongoing investigation but Platini has maintained his innocence and the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is set to rule on friday on wether the frenchman who was suspended for 90 days by the FIFA independent ethics committee can stand for the forthcoming FIFA elections.

The US Justice Department as vowed to come after whoever is fingered in the ongoing investigation into the biggest sports federation in world, and who knows who might be the next high profile name to be arrested.

Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein Officially Enters FIFA Presidential Race

Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein as officially entered the FIFA Presidential Race once again after a previous failed bid which saw him go head to head with embattled FIFA President Sepp Blatter who has been suspended alongside UEFA President Michele Platini and Jerome Valcke by the FIFA Ethics Committee.

Prince al-Hussein is the currently the FA President of the Jordan Football Association and he as entered his bid for FIFA’s top seat well ahead of the October 26 deadline and at a time when the image of football’s governing body has been dragged through the Mud, with countless revelations of fraudulent transactions involving members of FIFA’s executive committee.

The Jordanian Prince highlighted this in a statement he released a few hours ago:

“I am one of you, an FA President, and I know how hard you strive to define football. I am sure that FIFA can and will again become an organisation that earns the respect it deserves.

For all of us these are dark times. Restoring FIFA’s credibility will not be an easy task, but together it can be done. For the good of the game and all who love it, I humbly ask for the honour of your support”

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein to run for FIFA President photo credit JFA

One of the prerequisites to run for the FIFA Presidency also requires that the candidate must be backed by atleast 5 member associations and this Prince Al-Hussein would not have a problem here after previously crossing that hurdle with ease.

The Official entry of Prince Ali bin al-Hussein makes him arguably the front runner on the strength of his previous attempt at becoming FIFA President and the likely disqualification of Michele Platini from the race

FIFA Appoints Pinnick Organizing Committee Member

FIFA

Nigeria football recorded a huge applause on Thursday after world football–governing body, FIFA, announced the appointment of the President of Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick as a Member of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Organizing Committee.

In a letter dated 14th August 2015 and signed by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, the world body wrote: “We are very pleased to inform you that you have been appointed as a member of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Please accept our sincere congratulations on this nomination.

“We wish you success and enjoyment in this role at FIFA and look forward to welcoming you soon in Zurich.”

The late astute administrator, Patrick Okpomo, was Member of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Organizing Committee.

Incidentally, as Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Pinnick named the world –class Football House he superintended in Asaba, capital of the State, after the revered Patrick Okpomo.

Reacting on Thursday, the NFF boss said the appointment has not come to him in his individual capacity, but in his position as head of Nigeria football.

“I have always maintained that our country is too big to be a silent member of the international football community. This appointment is to the applause of Nigeria football, not myself as a person.

Amaju Pinnick. President NFF

“This will certainly encourage our efforts home and abroad to project Nigeria football positively. I insist: Nigeria has the quantity and quality of population to excel in several areas of endeavor globally.”

The 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup finals will be staged in Korea Republic.

Pinnick, who is also Member of the CAF Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations, was elected NFF President 11 months ago. He served for eight years as Chairman of the Delta State Football Association, and remains Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission.

At the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea earlier in the year, Pinnick was match commissioner for as many as six matches – a rare privilege for a newcomer to African football’s top table.

Collaboration Tops FIFA, NFF Talks

Musa Amadu, Seyi Akinwunmi, Sepp Blatter, Amaju Pinnick and Jerome Valcke at FIFA ha in Zurich

FIFA President, Mr. Sepp Blatter on Wednesday held an official meeting with top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland.

Blatter, who was in company with FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, welcomed the team on arrival at the headquarters of world football, and assured the Nigerian bigwigs that FIFA would be ready to collaborate more with the new Nigeria Football Federation.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick led the team, which also included NFF 1st Vice President, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi, and the General Secretary, Barrister Musa Amadu.

The Nigeria delegation will return to Abuja on Thursday.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter with NFF President Amaju Pinnick

FIFA Lifts Suspension On Nigeria

World football –governing body, FIFA on Friday lifted the suspension clamped on Nigeria on July 9 as a result of a court order barring the Aminu Maigari –led NFF Executive Committee and the NFF Congress from controlling and managing the affairs of Nigeria football.

In a letter signed by FIFA Secretary General, Jerome Valcke, and addressed to the NFF President, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, the world body, in the letter captioned ‘Lifting of the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation,’ stated clearly that they received the correspondence of Thursday, July 17 from the NFF and were satisfied that Nigeria has complied with their demands for reinstatement into international football.

“Since the conditions set by the FIFA Emergency Committee on 9 July, 2014 have been met, the suspension of the Nigeria Football Federation is lifted with immediate effect. The lifting of the suspension means that all of NFF’s membership rights have been reinstated, as defined in art. 12 of FIFA Statutes.

“The NFF is therefore entitled to take part again in international competitions and to benefit from all programs which were suspended.”

With this decision, the NFF has stepped up arrangements to ensure that the U-20 Women National Team, Falconets, travel to Moncton, Canada next week for a final training camp ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup taking place in the same country, and for the U-17 boys to fly to Democratic Republic of Congo for a 2015 African U-17 Championship qualifier on Sunday, July 27.

FIFA