FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (Reuters) &#8211; Sierra Leone face the prospect of a ban from international competition by FIFA after the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) followed through on a threat to raid the offices of its football association on Tuesday.
The ACC had threatened the move last week after sending a letter to Sierra Leone Football Association (SLFA) president Isha Johansen, telling her to step down over allegations of match-fixing involving the national team.
Johansen and her secretary general Chris Kamara have been banned from the SLFA offices by ACC officials, but the remainder of the staff have been allowed to continue their work.
Both deny they have done anything wrong.
“Staff at the SLFA offices have been warned not to have any business with Johansen and Kamara and not to allow them into the secretariat,” ACC official Alhassan Kargbo told BBC Sport.
“Anyone who goes against the orders will face the law.”
FIFA said earlier this week that they were monitoring the situation in the country and are likely to view the forced removal of Johansen as government interference in football affairs, especially as they are conducting their own investigation into the match-fixing allegations.
FIFA are looking at matches as far back as a World Cup qualifier against South Africa in 2008, while they are also chairing negotiations between the Sierra Leone sports ministry, SLFA officials and various other stakeholders over delays to football association elections.
The delays have been caused by a number of factors, including a resistance to integrity checks that FIFA wants carried out on those who intend to stand for positions.
Johansen, who intends to stand for re-election, was briefly detained in 2016 over alleged graft but was released without charge and also survived being ousted by the SLFA executive committee last year as FIFA refused to recognise the move.
She claims to have received numerous death threats in recent years but is determined to stand again for the post of president when elections eventually take place.
“I have been called all kinds of vulgar names &#8230; received so many death threats &#8230; but I haven’t entertained such abuse,” Johansen told Reuters last year.
“I want to be a pioneer for good governance, gender equality and inclusivity in football, to make a difference in a man’s game.”
Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Hugh Lawson

Why Sierra Leone could be banned by FIFA from international competition

LAGOS (Reuters) &#8211; Supporters of Nigeria’s soccer team described their heartbreak after watching the elimination of the national side from the World Cup on Tuesday following a late Argentina goal.
The game determined who progressed from Group D to the knockout stage and dictated whether or not Argentina forward Lionel Messi &#8211; considered by some soccer fans to be the world’s best player &#8211; would continue to play a role in Russia.
Nigeria were minutes from progressing before Argentina defender Marcos Rojo volleyed home a Gabriel Mercado cross in the 86th minute to give the South Americans a 2-1 win and passage into the last 16 where they face France.
“Heartbreak&#8230; we squandered two great chances that would have put us right above (on top in) the fixture,” said Kelechukwu Mgbeahuruike, who watched the game at an open air screening in the commercial capital, Lagos.
“Argentina had the zeal to still come back because they knew that yes they could still do it,” he said, referring to the period in which a Nigeria penalty converted by Victor Moses levelled the match at 1-1 after Messi had opened the scoring.
A draw would have been enough for the West African side to progress to the knockout stage of the tournament.
The team representing Africa’s most populous nation, making their sixth World Cup appearance, reached the last 16 when the tournament was held four years ago in Brazil.
There had been a widespread hope in Nigeria that the team could progress from Group D, which was widely considered to be one of the toughest in the tournament since it brought together Argentina, Croatia and Iceland alongside Nigeria.
Retail assistant Femi Ogundeji expressed anger at the decision not to award Nigeria penalty in the second half.
A video assistant referee (VAR) review decided that a possible handball by Rojo did not warrant a penalty.
“It is so clear, everyone can see that it was a clear handball and it is supposed to be a penalty,” said Ogundeji. “It is so painful. We could have drawn the match and we could have been in the round 16,” he added.
Nigeria were the only one of Africa’s five representatives from the last World Cup to return for the 2018 edition in Russia, which kicked off on June 14.
For some, the cause of Nigeria’s woes lay in divine intervention. “We cannot fight God. It is how God wants it,” said Kenneth Uzonwanne, an artist.
Additional reporting by Seun Sanni; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram

Nigeria exit #WorldCup after loss to Argentina leaving fans heartbroken

Africa is the world’s <a href="http://worldpopulationreview.com/continents/africa-population/">second most populated continent</a>; it’s home to 54 countries. Yet, according to football umbrella body FIFA’s rules, only five African countries can qualify for the World Cup tournament which is held every four years.
In the 2018 tournament Africa is represented by Nigeria and Senegal from West Africa, and Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco from North Africa. Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Cameroon and Burkina Faso – which all feature in the top 60 of <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html">FIFA’s ranking</a> of its 206 member states – will be watching the 64 matches in Russia from home.
All of this raises questions about more than just football. It’s a chance to reflect more broadly on identity. For instance, is there a shared African identity from the north to the south of the Sahara desert? Is the Sahara desert, in addition to being a natural separation between north and south, also a wall that separates <a href="http://en.lisapoyakama.org/how-north-africa-became-white/">two cultures</a>: black Africa and Arab-Berber Africa?
The term “black” is not used here as a pejorative, although as someone who’s originally from Algeria I must acknowledge that blackness with its rich culture and history is not celebrated enough in North Africa. The region suffers still from <a href="https://sajjeling.com/2013/11/14/orientalism-and-black-africa/">orientalist vision</a> and a colonial legacy that constructed north Africa as nomadic or a place of “Arabic charm”. There is also a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/09/north-africa-algeria-black-africa-shared-history">false idea</a> in north Africa about the rest of Africa as a place of “black magic”, poverty and military coups.
And some North Africans would consider themselves closer to Europe (which they consider “the norm”) than to sub-Saharan Africa.
The World Cup and the events surrounding it offer a useful chance to consider all of these biases and misunderstandings. After all, football and all sport offer powerful opportunities for divided people to unite – even if it’s just over a sports tournament.
<h2>African disunity</h2>
The 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, held in the week before the tournament’s kick off, was another test for African unity. The question was: who to vote for as host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup? A North African country, Morocco was bidding for the fifth time. They were competing against the joined Canada, the US and Mexico bid. The so-called “United 2026” bid <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/13/world-cup-2026-vote-north-america-morocco">received</a> 134 votes compared to Morocco’s 65.
There was also very little sign of African unity behind Morocco. Many sub-Saharan African countries gave their vote to the American bid, including Guinea, Benin, Burundi, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The all-Arab solidarity did not help either as many Arab nations did not vote for Morocco. Economic and political interests overtook considerations of belonging to the same continent, race and ethnicity.
Having said this, there is mutual fascination about football culture and history, uniting Africa across its four corners.
Morocco’s progress to the second round of the 1978 World Cup tournament held in Argentina was a milestone for African football. Algeria’s performance in Spain in 1982 made an impact that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/jun/13/1982-world-cup-algeria">changed</a> the World Cup tournament forever. The North Africans were on the receiving end of one of the worst cases of match fixing, involving West Germany and Austria. FIFA’s limp response to calls for punishing the Europeans or staging a replay was to rule that from then on the last pair of games in every group must be played simultaneously.
Algerian striker Lakhdar Belloumi said afterwards:
<blockquote>Our performances forced FIFA to make that change, and that was even better than a victory. It meant that Algeria left an indelible mark on football history.</blockquote>
Eight years later all of Africa celebrated and danced with the then 38-year-old <a href="https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=79318/profile.html">Roger Milla</a> in 1990. The brilliant Cameroonian forward scored four goals in the tournament, hosted by Italy. Four years later in the US, he became the oldest player to score a goal at a World Cup tournament.
Nigeria’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/nigeria-football-team">Super Eagles</a>, with five World Cup appearances and performances, led by <a href="https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/tribute-amazing-jay-jay-okocha-great-bolton-team/">Jay Jay Okocha</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rashidi-Yekini">Rashidi Yekini</a> and <a href="https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/ode-daniel-amokachi-everton-cult-hero-best-sub-never-made/">Daniel Amokachi</a>, have inspired generations of young Africans from the north to the south. Many young Africans wanted to be goalkeepers following role models like <a href="https://mg.co.za/tag/joseph-antoine-bell">Joseph-Antoine Bell</a> (Cameroon) and <a href="https://www.mytripblog.org/pg/blog/morocco-social-manager/read/150146/badou-zaki-">Badou Zaki</a> (Morocco).
<h2>More chances for unity</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98391/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />At this year’s tournament in Russia fans from across the continent, and of course beyond, will be cheering on the new emerging star of African football, Egypt’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/mohamed-salah">Mohamed Salah</a>. As a proud African, I know that most fans on our continent will be like me during this tournament: supporting Africa’s five teams, whether they lie north or south of the Sahara.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mahfoud-amara-499253">Mahfoud Amara</a>, Assistant Professor in Sport Policy &amp; Management, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/qatar-university-2693">Qatar University</a>
This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-world-cup-is-a-chance-to-talk-about-african-identities-and-unity-98391">original article</a>.

Why World Cup brings forth opportunity to discuss African identities and unity

The city of Durban became Africa’s Davos last week as it hosted WEF Africa 2017, from the 3rd to the 5th of May. Sihle Zikalala‚ MEC for Economic Development‚ Tourism and Environmental Affairs in Kwazulu-Natal‚ had lobbied for the event to occur in Durban. It was estimated that the direct impact of hosting the event would be at least R64-million with a total impact of over R155-million.
With the majority of delegates arriving in Durban via OR Tambo airport, the city would have benefited more if it could have offered more direct flights.
The event was a great opportunity for Durban to rebrand itself after it was stripped of the hosting rights for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It has acquired a new image, like a fresh coat of paint. It has also learned that mega events such as the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games are expensive to host, and divert spending from pressing social needs such as housing, healthcare, while demanding the building of additional infrastructure and superstructure.
In addition, the host country would be liable for cost overruns, which is a perennial reality of hosting mega event. South Africa had also learnt its lesson from the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The government has a high debt ratio, which was party impacted on by the huge expenditure to fund the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The ratings agencies had expressed concern about the high debt that the state is carrying, which was one of the reasons that it downgraded South Africa. The legacy of the World Cup is evident in better roads infrastructure and world class stadia.
Besides using the 2010 World Cup as a marketing tool for investment and tourism, South Africa did not think carefully about what it sought to benefit from the event. These lessons are now part of our collective memory, which made it prudent for Durban to accept the decision to the stripped of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. South Africa was not about to give the Commonwealth a blank cheque.
The WEF Durban was hosted using existing infrastructure and it was a more sustainable event that the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The benefit came in the form of thousands of visitors who descended on the city, while the city was able to have a conversation about its investment opportunities.
In addition, the state and private sector had an opportunity to engage after the Cabinet reshuffle. The Cabinet reshuffle has hardened attitudes. It has accelerated what was dinner talk to the boardroom, raising the issue of corporate South Africa potentially having to disinvest from SA Inc. under the disguise of diversification.
The lack of trust and suspicion between the two has become a reality of the day. There is the allegation that the private sector would rather sit on R700 billion in their bank accounts that invest in their economy.
Labour instability in the post Marikana era has dampened investment, as labour unions have been reckless in demanding salaries that they don’t deserve. This led to retrenchments, but it is alleged that the union leadership couldn’t care less as they live a life of opulence and abundance.
The retrenchments have thrown millions of South Africans into a sea of poverty, unemployment and inequality. The state has failed to manage labour instability, and crime is too high – forcing businesses to spend a disproportionate amount of money on security, which should be the responsibility of the state.
Today, capital is concerned about the direction of our country, ranging from state capture to threats about property rights. The state is failing to address these issues, and instead the political rhetoric has taken a racist tone in the epithet White Monopoly Capital.
Those leading the rhetoric do not have the R700 billion to create thousands of jobs, that money is held within the private sector. Capital is a motive force that must be engaged to invest in our economy to create jobs and prosperity.
With jobs, our citizens would be able to fend for themselves and depend less on the state which has more than 17 million social grant dependents. Poverty is not a nice thing – it is a form of lifetime apartheid that deprives the human spirit of its huge potential.
I will only believe Radical Economic Transformation if it achieves what Dudley Seers wrote in The Meaning of Development: “The questions to ask about a country’s development are therefore: What is happening to poverty? What has been happening to unemployment? What has been happening to inequality? If all three of these have declined from high levels, then beyond doubt this has been a period of development’’.
Radical economic transformation must never result in radical economic irresponsibility. Restoring human dignity with jobs and a growing economy is the ultimate act of patriotism that must be dividend of democracy.
&nbsp;
Unathi Sonwabile Henama teaches tourism at the Tshwane University of Technology and writes in his personal capacity.

Op-Ed: On Durban, WEF Africa, and Radical Economic Transformation

Former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen (45) has died. Van der Westhuizen was the scrumhalf for the South African rugby side that triumphed at the 1995 World Cup,﻿
He was admitted to hospital on Saturday morning in a critical condition, and on Monday afternoon passed away.
In 2011 at the age of 40, Van der Westhuizen was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND), which many experts believe was caused by a mixture of damaging genetic and environmental factors.
He was given only two and a half years to live, however he held on for many more years with an unflagging purpose he always showed in the field while playing for the Springboks.
The disease left Van der Westhuizen restricted to a wheel chair using a computer to communicate; during his illness he founded the J9 foundation which seeks to inform people about the disease.
&#8220;It is with great sadness that we confirm the passing of Joost. He passed away in his home surrounded by his loved ones,&#8221; read a statement from the J9 Foundation, a charity the rugby player founded to help motor neurone disease sufferers.﻿
He played 89 tests for the Springboks, scoring 38 tries before being surpassed by Bryan Habana.﻿

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Why Sierra Leone could be banned by FIFA from international competition

Nigeria exit #WorldCup after loss to Argentina leaving fans heartbroken

Why World Cup brings forth opportunity to discuss African identities and unity

Op-Ed: On Durban, WEF Africa, and Radical Economic Transformation

Former Springbok scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen has died

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Why Sierra Leone could be banned by FIFA from international competition

Nigeria exit #WorldCup after loss to Argentina leaving fans heartbroken

Why World Cup brings forth opportunity to discuss African identities and unity

Op-Ed: On Durban, WEF Africa, and Radical Economic Transformation

Former Springbok scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen has died

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