Financial gain: Saudi Arabia's banking transformation is delivering a wealth of benefits, to the Kingdom and beyond    Four given jail terms for Amsterdam violence against football fans    South Korea becomes 'super-aged' society, new data shows    Trump criticizes Biden for commuting death sentences    Russian ballistic missile attack hits Kryvyi Rih on Christmas Eve    Blake Lively's claims put spotlight on 'hostile' Hollywood tactics    Saudi Ambassador to Ukraine presents credentials to President Zelenskyy    Cabinet underscores Saudi Arabia's significant progress in all fields    Viewing and printing vehicle data is now possible through Absher    Saudi Awwal Bank inaugurates Prince Faisal bin Mishaal Centre for Native Plant Conservation and Propagation in partnership with Environmental Awareness Society    Individual investment portfolios in Saudi stock market grows 12% to 12.7 million during 3Q 2024    Five things everyone should know about smoking    Saudi Arabia starts Gulf Cup 26 campaign with a disappointing loss to Bahrain    Gulf Cup: Hervé Renard calls for Saudi players to show pride    Oman optimistic about Al-Yahyaei's return for crucial Gulf Cup clash with Qatar    Qatar coach Garcia promises surprises as they seek first Gulf Cup 26 win    Abdullah Kamel unveils plans to launch halal certificate similar to ISO Value of global halal market exceeds $2 trillion    Emir of Madinah launches first phase of Madinah Gate project worth SR600 million    Do cigarettes belong in a museum    Marianne Jean-Baptiste on Oscars buzz for playing 'difficult' woman    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Infantino rejects 'colonialism' criticism
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 18 - 07 - 2019

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has rejected comments that the global soccer body has taken a "colonialist" attitude towards African football and its governing organization CAF (Confederation of African Football).
FIFA last month took the unprecedented move of announcing it would jointly administer African football with CAF and would send it its Senegalese secretary general Fatma Samoura on a ninth-month secondment to overhaul the African body.
The move followed corruption allegations against CAF president Ahmad Ahmad which he has denied. Some African officials have opposed the move while former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, in a recent interview with the BBC, described it as a "new aspect of colonialism".
Blatter has been banned from football for six years for ethics violations during his presidency. He denies wrongdoing. "I have heard about colonialism, that FIFA is colonising Africa again," Infantino told CAF's general assembly on Thursday, adding that he was "puzzled" by the remarks.
"What does it mean, colonialism? I don't know. It's not part of my vocabulary. I know what it means to work, to team up, to roll up your sleeves, to go on the pitch and help and that is what we are doing," he added. "(Samoura's) heart is beating for Africa and we all suffer when we see what is going on here."
Infantino said that it was important that African football had competitions where "people trust the organization, where the stadium is secure and it is safe, where matches are not manipulated, where people trust the referees — these are some of the issues that African football is facing."
Infantino added that CAF needed to think about growing the sport in the region without depending on FIFA handouts. "The point is to generate revenues for African football from Africa," he said.
Ahmad was reported in March to FIFA's ethics committee by CAF general secretary Amr Fahmy, who was then fired. Further allegations of fraud have recently been made against Ahmad, who was detained and questioned by French authorities in June as part of a corruption investigation.
Ahmad has denied wrongdoing in several media interviews but has not responded to repeated requests by Reuters for comment on the specific allegations against him.
The CAF Champions League final, played in May, remains unresolved after one team walked off the pitch in protest at a refereeing decision while the Africa Cup of Nations has been played against a backdrop of empty stadiums in Egypt.
Ahmad, in a speech to the assembly, said it was his decision to ask for FIFA's help. "When I went to ask for help, I found a man (Infantino) well aware of the problems of Africa, I found a man who loves Africa and his behavior proves it," he said. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.