Congo to resume World Cup qualifiers after missing their matches

June 18 (Reuters) - Congo will be allowed to continue participating in the World Cup qualifiers despite missing two fixtures in March when they were banned, world football's governing body FIFA said on Wednesday.
Congo were suspended from February to May because of government interference in the running of their football association (FECOFOOT) but the ban was lifted when officials returned to their positions and were handed back access to their headquarters and technical training centre.
Sports minister Hugues Ngouelondele had appointed an ad-hoc committee last year to run the association, claiming it needed to sort out disputes among association office bearers, but FIFA suspended FECOFOOT due to third-party interference, which violates its statutes.
During the ban, Congo were not allowed to participate in any international competition, which meant they did not honour 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania and Niger in March.
A FIFA spokesman told Reuters the points from those fixtures were forfeited and a 3-0 victory awarded to their opponents.
But they will continue in the qualifiers when they resume in September, even if they have no chance of qualifying.
Congo are scheduled to play Tanzania at home in September and conclude their fixtures in October with matches at Niger and Morocco.
Congo have no points in the group, which Morocco lead with 15 points, six more than Tanzania in second place.
The group winner qualifies for next year's World Cup in North America while the runner-up has a possibility to participate in playoffs if they are among the four best second-placed teams in the nine African qualifying groups.
FIFA has taken a hard line on government interference in football matters with the likes of Chad, Kenya, Pakistan and Zimbabwe among those banned in recent years.
Congo were African champions in 1972 but have never been to a World Cup.

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BBC News

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Timeline of how Nnamdi Kanu terrorism trial don go since new judge take over

On Thursday, di lawyers of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of di Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), tok say dem go file a no-case submission over di terrorism charges wey di Nigeria goment sama on am. Dem tok dis one afta di federal goment close dia case for di trial afta dem don call five witnesses and tender plenty documents as exhibits including video and audio broadcasts wey dem say Kanu bin make. Nigeria goment dey try Kanu on terrorism allegations. Dem say e terrorise pipo by issuing illegal sit-at-home orders, and by telling im followers to attack and kill police. Kanu plead not gulity to di charges. Dis na di summary of how di matter take reach dis stage since Justice James Omotosho take over from Justice Binta Nyako: Re-arraignment... Kanu plead no guilty Di matter start afresh on 21 March, 2025 as di Nigeria goment re-arraign Kanu on seven counts of terrorism, belonging to a terrorist group, and illegal importation of radio equipment. Kanu plead not guilty. On dat day, our tori pesin wey don dey cover dis trial since 2019, notice say Kanu don change im lead counsels and employ ogbonge senior advocates like di former Attorney General of di Federation and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi; Onyechi Ikpeazu, Emeka Etiaba, Paul Erokoro and so. Bifor dis time, Kanu lead counsel na Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Aloy Ejimakor, and later Mike Ozekhome (SAN) join dem for some time bifor dem withdraw am again. On di day of re-arraignment, Kanu Agabi apologise to di court for how Nnamdi Kanu bin para for Justice Nyako and di FG lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo during di previous hearings. Justice Omotosho accept di apology as e tok say e understand say di defendant bin tok out of anger sake of say di case don last for ten years now. "As I dey look di case file, I see say dis matter start wen di defendant dey 45 years old, now e dey 55 years, so I understand im anger. Dat na why I go grant accelerated hearing for dis matter," Omotosho tok. And true-true, e grant accelerated hearing. PW1 - Mr AAA For di next adjourned date - 29 April, 2025, di Nigeria goment call dia first prosecution witness, Mr AAA (no be im real name). All di goment witnesses testify using codenames AAA to EEE for di five witnesses, sake of say dem dey work wit di Department of State Services (DSS), wey be Nigeria secret security outfit. Di court also permit dem to testify behind cover and for dem to also wear mask. Mr AAA na di officer wey lead di arrest of Nnamdi Kanu for 2015. Dem arrest am for one hotel close to di Lagos International Airport. Di witness tok say dem arrest Kanu wit one woman for im room, and dem recover plenty broadcasting equipment for im hand, but during cross-examination, e confirm say dem no find any terrorism equipment wit am. E tender videos of statement wey Kanu bin make for di DSS headquarters in Abuja afta dem transport am from Lagos. For dat video, im lawyer Aloy Ejimakor and one oda lawyer dey dia. Di witness also tender in evidence two boxes containing Kanu personal belongings like shoes, wrist-watches, and perfumes, plus some broadcasting equipment like microphones, tripods, laptops, ipads, and internet modems. PW2 - Mr BBB Di second prosecution witness - Mr BBB start im own testimony on 7 May, 2025. E tok say im na one of di lead officers wey investigate Nnamdi Kanu, afta di den AGF Abubakar Malami, write a petition to DSS complaining of di broadcasts wey di Ipob leader dey make on social media using Radio Biafra. Dis witness tender video evidence wia Nnamdi Kanu announce di creation of di Eastern Security Network (ESN), and wia e threaten Bola Tinubu and say e go destroy im properties for Lagos. Mr BBB also say dia investigation show say Nnamdi Kanu broadcasts dey directly connected to di violence and killings wey dey go on for di southeast region. E also tender as exhibit, di death certificate of Ahmed Gulak, wey be chieftain of di All progressives Congress (APC) wey jaguda pipo bin kill for Owerri Imo State on 30 May, 2021. Di witness claim say na Ipob fighters kill Gulak sake of say e disobey di sit-at-home order wey Kanu bin give for dat May 30 - a day wey Ipob dey mark as Biafra Remembrance Day. During cross-examination, BBB deny say no be DSS pipo arrest Kanu for Kenya. E say dia work no dey cross outside Nigeria. Also, Kanu lawyers tender video evidence of di Govnor of Imo State as e tok say Ipob no dey responsible for di killings for di state, rather na politicians dey do am. Dem also play videos of retired Major General for di Nigeria Army, T.Y Danjuma, and di current Director-General of di DSS Adeola Ajayi wia dem dey tell di public make dem rise up and defend diasef from terrorists and bandits PW3 - Mr CCC Dis witness na also one of di officers wey bin investigate Kanu wen dem arrest am from 2015. E tok say im and two oda DSS officers bin interview Kanu on October 21, 22, 23 and 24, and again on November 4 of dat 2015, and e present di video recording of dat interview to be tendered as evidence. However, one of Nnamdi Kanu lawyers, Paul Erokoro inform di court say Kanu tell am say im bin dey under duress wen e make di statement. Prosecution lawyer say no be true, say Kanu make di statement voluntarily witout any force. To determine weda to accept di video in evidence, Justice Omotosho order for trial within trial. Dem play di video for court and e show say Kanu bin complain several times say e dey entitled to a lawyer but di DSS no wan give am im lawyer. Justice Omotosho rule say e no go admit di evidence bicos e go against di evidence act wey clearly state say a defendant must to make im statement in di presence of im legal representative. "I hereby order as follows: Dat di statement of di defendant dated 21 to 24 October and November 4 2015 dey inadmissible in evidence. "Dat di video recordings of di statement wey I bin don admit and marked PWQ and PWR, also dey inadmissible and hereby marked rejected," Omotosho tok. PW4 - Mr DDD Anoda DSS officer, dis witness say e work for di Imo State command between 2019 and 2022, and na im lead di team wey recover di radio transmitter wey Kanu bin allegedly import into di kontri illegally. Oga DDD say dem use ogbonge technology to geolocate one video wey Kanu bin make wia e tell im followers say dia radio transmitter don land. E say dem locate di equipment for Ubuluisiuzor Community, for Ihiala local goment area of Anambra State, for di compound of one Benjamin Madubugwu. Dem hide di transmitter inside di container and cover am wit household items like mattresses and washing machines, e tok. Dis witness also tell di court how one IPOB/ESN commander wey police arrest, bin confess say Nnamdi Kanu order dem to bury one of dia commander wey police kill wit 2000 human heads, but na 30 pipo dem don get so far bifor police arrest am. According to DDD, dis arrested Ipob member name na Uzoma Benjamin, a.k.a 'Onye Army. However, e admit say no be im interview di suspect, but na wetin di newspapers publish. Di witness tender a publication of Vanguard Newspaper of 3 July, wey contain di report. E also tok claim say na Ipob kill Ahmed Gulak bicos e disobey sit-at-home order wey Nnamdi Kanu bin declare. However, during cross-examination, one of Kanu lawyers Onyechi Ikpeazu, point out say Gulak na politician, and na im be di chairman of di primary election wey produce Uzodinma as di APC govnorship candidate for Imo State. Ikpeazu ask di witness why e be say di killers kill only Gulak, but dem no touch di driver of im vehicle and di oda passenger wey dey wit am dat time, since na all of dem disobey di sit-at-home order. E also point out say di govment of Imo State later come out to explain say di killing of Gulak dey politically motivated. PW5 - Mr EEE Dis last witness tell di court say im work na to investigate wetin happen during di End SARS nationwide protest of October 2020 for Nigeria. EEE insist say di issue of police brutality na di secondary cause of di protest, but di underlying reasons na bicos say some subversive elements, like Nnamdi Kanu, bin don dey incite di public against di goment. E tender document of dia investigation as evidence, and di document show say about 175 security officers - including policemen, army pipo and DSS pipo - bin die across di kontri during di protest. For di cross-examination, Ikpeazu ask di witness say: Shey you dey categorically tell di court say di End SARS protests na Biafran issue?" Di witness respond say "my assignment no be to investigate Biafra, my assignment na to investigate di End SARS protest to which di defendant bin incite di public." Ikpeazu den point to di report of di panel of enquiry into di End SARS protest for Lagos State, and say di report no mention Ipob or Nnamdi Kanu anywia as di pipo wey dey responsible. E also try to poke holes for di document wey Mr EEE bin tender, as e point out say di document no get di signature or stamp of di pipo wey claim say na dem write am. Also Ikpeazu point out say di document get inconsistencies, like wia e refer to Osun State as Ekiti State, and places wia details of di dead bodies of di security pipo wey dem claim say Ipob/ESN pipo kill durin End SARS no dey clear. As cross-examination end, Awomolo, counsel to di goment inform di court say dem dey close dia case for hia, as dem believe say di evidences dem provide and di witnesses dem call don dey sufficient. No-case submission Kanu Agabi, di lead defence counsel inform di court say dem go file no-case submission, since di prosecution don exhaust dia case. "Chief Awomolo get di misfortune of trying dis case, and we get di misfortune of defending am, bicos we no see any case at all for dis charges against our client," Agabi tok. E ask di trial judge to give dem some days to file dia written address on di no case submission. Justice Omotosho grant di defence team 14 days to fille dia written address, and also 14 days to di prosecution team to file dia own. Omotosho adjourn di matter to 18 July, 2025, for di two sides to come and adopt dia addresses so dat e go rule, perhaps afta Judges come back from dia annual Vacation wey dey start from late July to early September. Di Charges against Kanu Since 2015 wen di Nigeria goment first arrest Nnamdi Kanu, na only April dis year im trial start well-well. Remember say di matter bin dey bifor Justice Binta Nyako of di Federal High Court Abuja, and na she bin grant Kanu bail on health grounds in 2017, but Kanu run for im life comot for Nigeria afta soldiers bin carry out security operation for im House in Umuahia, Abia State for southeast Nigeria. In June 2021, security pipo for Kenya arrest Kanu and carry am by force come bak to Nigeria to face trial. Di initial charges against di ipob leader bin dey 15, but Justice Nyako bring am down to seven. Even though di Court of Appeal later strike out all di charges and discharge Kanu, di Supreme Court reinstated di seven charges as dem tok say di Ipob leader get questions to ansa. Here na di seven charges:

Daily Mail​

an hour ago

• Daily Mail​

Former Chelsea star is hit with FIVE-YEAR ban from football and fined after furious row with Samuel Eto'o

Former Chelsea star Geremi has been handed a five-year ban from football by Cameroon's FA and fined £13,000 following a dispute with federation president Samuel Eto'o. The 46-year-old, who earned 118 caps for Cameroon - the joint-second highest in the country's history - lifted the Premier League title with Chelsea in both 2005 and 2006. He also enjoyed spells at Real Madrid, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle before hanging up his boots in 2011. Since retiring, Geremi has often found himself at the centre of controversy. He previously held a role with the National Union of Footballers of Cameroon (Synafoc), but has now been hit with a lengthy ban after a fallout with Eto'o. The feud between the pair dates back to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, during Cameroon's clash with Gambia. Geremi was reportedly involved in a heated exchange with a member of Eto'o's staff, which quickly escalated and resulted in the two having to be separated by those nearby. Reports in Cameroon claim Geremi was 'forcibly removed' by nearby security on the orders of FeCafoot officials - and the governing body has now ruled that the former midfielder must serve a lengthy ban as a consequence of his actions. 'We declare Geremi Sorel Njitap, the president of Synafoc, guilty of breaking the behaviour rules of our code of ethics,' a statement read. We sentence him to a ban from all forms of football activity for five years, and to a fine of ten million West African francs [£13,000]. He has ten days to submit a written appeal.' Geremi's assistant, Daniel Blaise Ngos, has also been sanctioned over the incident, receiving a two-year ban and a £6,500 fine. Geremi is expected to launch an appeal against the ruling, with reports suggesting he could take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to overturn or reduce both the ban and £13,000 fine. He made headlines last year after splitting from his wife following DNA tests that revealed the two children he believed were his were actually fathered by her former partner.

Reuters

2 hours ago

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South Africa captain Bavuma ruled out of Zimbabwe test series

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