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
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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
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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
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15 Mar

Asian Football Confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam's position on the FIFA executive committee could be in jeopardy after 19 AFC countries backed rival Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. Bin Hammam's tenure on the committee comes to an end in two months' time, with Al Khalifa looking to replace the Qatari as one of the region's four representatives. More worryingly for Bin Hammam, the action will also be construed as a referendum on his six-and-a-half-year presidency of the AFC, with the rebel countries unhappy at the 59-year-old's proposal of a 12-year marketing deal with World Sport Group as well as moving...

10:12 / Local / Sports
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25 Feb

SOME national referees, fed-up with Lt Col (Rtd) Kamaruddin Sakhari - the head of their department - are seeking an audience with FA of Malaysia president Sultan Ahmad Shah to vent their frustration. The referees department, since last year, has come under fire from the media for the unprofessional way it has dealt with some of its members. This year, some referees whose credentials are questionable, have been assigned to local league matches. Appointments of match commissioners and referees inspectors have also been criticised. "We are sick and tired with FAM (for not looking into the matter). We have complained on...

11:28 / Local / Sports
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04 Feb

THE decision by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed Hammam to relocate AFC House from Malaysia to another country is unwise and does not reflect the other members' stand, according to Federation of International Football Association (Fifa) vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chung Mong-joon. Mong-joon, speaking on the matter for the first time since it was raised last September, said Mohammed should have considered the history and size of the Asian continent before making the announcement. A decision on the relocation will be made at the AFC Congress in November. "I wonder where he got the idea. Most of the time, Mohammed...

08:57 / Local / Sports
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20 Jan

BARRING objections, K. Rajagopal is set to be given the responsibility of guiding the national Under-23 football team for the Laos Sea Games in December. The recommendation for Rajagopal to be given the job will be made by the technical sub-committee the FA of Malaysia formed following the senior team's failure to make the Asean Championship semi-finals last month. There were 10 applicants for the post, including former Thailand and Indonesia national Peter Withe and UPB-MyTeam's Boyan Hodak, but Rajagopal's familiarity with the the players saw him getting the support of the sub-committee and the national team management committee has to...

04:03 / Local / Sports
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15 Jan

ENGLISH Premier League and European champions Manchester United will be in Kuala Lumpur for their pre-season tour in July. The dates have yet to be finalised. Fans of the Red Devils, who were deprived of seeing their team in action two years ago because their visit clashed with the Asian Cup, will be able to catch their stars in action this time around. In 2007 the United tour was called off because the Asian Football Confederation was adamant that no foreign team should be playing when the Asian Cup was being held in Asia. Despite United's visit being supported by the...

02:56 / International / Local / Sports
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05 Jan

THE Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is investigating a complaint by three local coaches who have accused the FA of Malaysia of irregularities in an A Licence coaching course. The three, who are prominent figures in the football fraternity,accused FAM's coaching department of lack of professionalism in conducting the course. The course saw 10 out of 21 getting through the theory and practical exams. The three were among those who didn't get through and they are demanding a review of their test papers. "We feel we have been victimized and that the coaching department was not fair in evaluating the results....

02:05 / Local / Sports
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