Nigeria moves four spots up to 60th in FIFA Rankings

Nigeria are now 60th in the world ratings after climbing four spots up, according to the latest FIFA rankings released today.
Nigeria are also 11th in Africa, just a place outside the top 10.
The rise followed two straight wins over Tanzania and Zambia under new coach Gernot Rohr.
The Super Eagles pipped Tanzania 1-0 in a final AFCON 2017 qualifier in Uyo, before they upstaged hosts Zambia 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month.
Nigeria’s World Cup rivals Algeria, who they welcome to Uyo next month, stay put in 35th position in the world, but slip to third in Africa behind Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal.
Cameroon remain 59th in the world, while Zambia drop two spots to 94th.

FIFA plans to introduce anti-racism regulations ahead of 2018 World Cup

FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura said the organisation is working closely with Russia to formulate tough anti-discrimination regulations for the 2018 World Cup after it emerged that it was disbanding its anti-racism task force.

FIFA wrote to members of the task force to say that it has "completely fulfilled its temporary mission" and "is hereby dissolved and no longer in operation."  

"I have been to Russia twice since I came into office," Samoura said. "We are working with the authorities there to make sure strong measures are in place to combat racism and all forms of discrimination. They have been very receptive and are committed to this."

On the decision to end the work of the task force, Samoura added: "It had a very specific mandate. They made some very good recommendations and FIFA has now turned them into a programme and is implementing them. We remain committed to fighting all forms of discrimination and it remains top of our agenda."

Samoura maintained that the controversial decision to end the task force was in no way an indication that world football's governing body believed that the problem of discrimination within the game had been solved.

"FIFA maintains a zero tolerance towards discrimination at all levels of the game," she added. "Both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 will be World Cups where intolerance and bigotry will not be tolerated."

Samoura has met the media and corporate companies to convince them that FIFA is combating corruption and is now a more transparent organisation.

Samoura was speaking as she presented FIFA's first ever Diversity Award at the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester. The award was won by Slum Soccer, an Indian based organisation that uses football to carry out social engagement projects with children living in slums.

FIFA confirm transfer ban on Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid

On Thursday, FIFA dismissed appeals by Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid against a ban on registering new players in the next two transfer windows for irregularities in the signing of foreign players under 18.

Real and Atletico — last season’s Champions League finalists — were also fined 360,000 ($358,000) and 900,000 Swiss Francs respectively.

However, the Spanish giants still have a final right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“The FIFA Appeal Committee has decided to reject the appeals lodged by Spanish clubs Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid and to confirm in their entirety the decisions rendered by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in the respective cases relating to the protection of minors,” FIFA said in a statement.

Both clubs were sanctioned in January, but by appealing had temporarily held off the ban during the transfer window which closed last month.

They will now not be able to register any new players in either of the next two windows, in January 2017 and July-August 2017.

European champions Real responded by saying they will now go to the CAS in an attempt to have the decision overturned “as quickly as possible”.

“The club regrets the decision on the ground that it is profoundly unfair and contrary to the most elementary principles of penal law,” read a statement posted on their website.

“The club will begin the appropriate appeals procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, requesting that the decision be completely overturned, with absolute confidence that said organisation will come to an entirely favourable decision.

“Real Madrid C. F. will request that the procedure be undertaken in an urgent manner in order to obtain a decision from the CAS as quickly as possible.”

Sierra Leone FA president Isha Johansen among officials detained

The President of the Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) Isha Johansen and two others have been detained over corruption allegations.

The country’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) picked the trio up after an FA Cup match on Wednesday.

The head of the ACC Ade Macauley said the arrests were due to “discrepancies in the financial statement of the SLFA relating to donor funds.”

The trio denied the allegations during questioning.

Johansen and SLFA vice-president Brima Mazola Kamara as well as secretary general Christopher Kamara spent the night in detention.

The move came just hours after the ACC started Operation Thunderbolt, that is aimed at intensifying their fight against corruption.

An official at the ACC Patrick Sandy said they decided to make the arrests because of lack of cooperation from the SLFA.

“We are investigating funds SLFA received from Fifa, the Confederation of African Football and the government of Sierra Leone as we have the mandate to do so,” Sandy added.

“We have invited them in writing and through other means to report to our headquarters but they disregarded our invitations.

“We wrote a letter to the SLFA scribe to submit documents relating to SLFA finances but they refused to cooperate.

“Instead they wrote back stating that they are not accountable to us and it could be considered as political interference, as they are only answerable to FIFA.

“The ACC is not a political institution, we are independent.”

In the past the SLFA has insisted they are only accountable to football’s world governing body, FIFA.

CAF turns down Pinnick’s nomination for FIFA seat

The desire of Nigeria Football Federation president Amaju Pinnick to get a seat on FIFA Council has hit the rock as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rejected his nomination, African Football reports.

Ahead of the election into the FIFA Council on September 29, CAF shortlisted seven candidates, with no Nigerian represented.

On the shortlist are Almamy Kabele Camara (Guinea); Suketu Patel (Sychelles); Kwesi Nyantakyi (Ghana); Ahmad (Madagascar); Augustin Senghor (Senegal); Hamidou Djibrilla (Niger) and Chabur Goc Alei (South Sudan).

They will now undergo an integrity test before their names are ratified for the ballot.

News24 had reported that Pinnick appealed to the Nigerian Senate to create an enabling environment for his administration to run football in the country.