30 Apr

Against a backdrop of controversies and intense politicking, FIFA and Asian Football Confederation executive committee member Junji Ogura called on all Member Associations and the authorities concerned to convene the May 8th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur in accordance with the decisions of FIFA. In a faxed statement to members, AFC executive Committee, presidents and general secretaries of Member Associations, Ogura of Japan reiterated the stand of FIFA Legal Affairs Department on three issues that had become a major source of discontentment within certain quarters of the Asian body. The three are – the voting rights of five associations in relation to participation...

09:58 / International / Sports
0 Likes
30 Apr

The embattled President of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohamed bin Hammam, has defied FIFA and rejected their instruction to re-instate the voting rights of five countries who were banned from taking part in the May 8 AFC Congress. The impending ban on the five nations – some of whom had given their allegiance to Hammam’s challenger for the FIFA seat Sheikh Salman Al-Khalifa -- was decided by AFC’s ad-hoc Legal Committee that was formed early this year. The Legal Committee was one of three Standing Committees removed from the list at the 2007 AFC Congress. The others were Medical, and the Ethics & Fairplay Committees. The AFC president’s defiance is reflected in...

02:53 / Sports
0 Likes
28 Apr

The man challenging Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Hammam believes his chances of winning a crucial vote next month have improved after weeks of mud-slinging. Sheikh Salman Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the chairman of the Bahrain football association, said he was confident of taking Mohamed's Fifa executive committee seat, which is up for grabs at the AFC Congress on May 8. If the Qatari loses that powerful position, he has said he will step down as AFC chief despite his term running until 2011."I am confident of my ability and my chances are better than my opponent in the battle for several reasons,"...

02:47 / International / Sports
0 Likes
15 Apr

Playing for a 0-0 draw against Villarreal in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday won't be good enough for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Arsenal will advance to the semifinals if they can keep the match at Emirates Stadium scoreless because they earned a 1-1 draw last week in the first leg at Villarreal. "Our approach is to win the game, we have to be as simple as that," Wenger said Tuesday. "I don't feel that we are used to going into games trying to play 0-0. Of course we will be organized and disciplined but, when we have...

02:34 / International / Sports
0 Likes
15 Apr

The Korean Football Association is at the center of a row that could have a huge impact on global soccer. That sounds a little dramatic when you learn that it is all about the May 8 election for the West Asian seat on the executive committee of FIFA. But this seemingly less-than-vital vote could have major repercussions. Asia has four seats on the committee, with only the West Asian one up for grabs. It is currently occupied by the Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam and he is being challenged by Shaikh Salman of Bahrain. Despite the fact that he is...

02:29 / Sports
0 Likes
15 Apr

Chelsea denied Liverpool the glory of another sensational European comeback to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate win. Liverpool, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Anfield, stunned the Blues with two first-half goals from Fabio Aurelio and Xabi Alonso, who scored a penalty. Chelsea's defensive frailties, exposed so clinically by Bolton in the Premier League at the weekend, looked like costing them a place in the last four as Liverpool, without their talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, threatened to pull off another miracle. But the Blues looked home and dry after producing a sensational comeback of their own...

02:26 / International / Sports
0 Likes
01 Apr

Former international Dollah Salleh is tipped to become the new national football coach. It is learnt that Dollah, who is now with Premier League side Shahzan Muda, has received an offer to take the hot seat vacated by B. Sathianathan, whose services was terminated last month. Former Sarawak coach Jalil Ramli and former Police coach K. Thaiyanathan have also been linked to become the assistant coaches. Newly-appointed national team manager Datuk Gulzar Mohd Nor indicated last month that he preferred local coaches to take the jobs. Dollah turned to coaching in 2003 and he got off to a great start, leading Petaling Jaya Municipal...

02:22 / Local / Sports
0 Likes