SOMALI REFEREE RETURNS HOME VIA ISTANBUL AFTER US ENTRY DENIAL

 'I wanted to thank FIFA for supporting me all the way and the Somali people also,' Omar Abdulkadir Artan says at Istanbul Airport

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the US to officiate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, returned Tuesday to his home country from Istanbul.

"I wanted to thank FIFA for supporting me all the way and the Somali people also. So I am very grateful for FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) also. So this is what I have to say," Artan told reporters at Istanbul Airport before boarding a Turkish Airlines flight to Somalia.

The Somali Football Federation voiced deep regret Tuesday after Artan was barred from entering the US.

The federation said that no official explanation has been given for the decision, but it urged patience until all the facts have been revealed.

A senior White House official on Tuesday defended the decision to bar several international participants from entering the US for the World Cup, asserting that the measures are necessary to ensure a safe environment.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, suggested that the decision to block Artan "was for a very good reason,” without elaborating.

Artan was due to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.

- Diyar Güldoğan

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CAF SECRETARY GENERAL RESIGNS AMID AFCON FINAL FALLOUT

 

AFP via Getty Images

The general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has resigned amid a chaotic time for football on the continent.

Veron Mosengo-Omba said in a statement he was retiring, but his departure comes during the fallout over decisions to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and postpone the women's tournament at the last minute.

These incidents have left CAF, the governing body for African football, battling a crisis of confidence.

Mosengo-Omba alluded to controversies faced during his tenure in his statement on Sunday.

"Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever," Mosengo-Omba, deputy to Caf president Patrice Motsepe, wrote.

The 66-year-old has been criticised for staying on as general secretary past the organisation's mandatory retirement age of 63.

He has also been accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere in the workplace, although an investigation after staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Mosengo-Omba, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo but also holds Swiss nationality, was appointed general secretary in March 2021.

According to news agency Reuters, Caf's competitions director, Samson Adamu, will take over as acting general secretary.

The governing body is awaiting a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the Afcon title.

Senegal is challenging CAF's appeals body for overturning their 1-0 win over hosts Morocco in January's Afcon final.

During the game, Senegal's players left the field in protest when, with the score at 0-0, hosts Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty.

When they returned after a delay of about 17 minutes, Morocco subsequently failed to score the spot-kick and Senegal netted an extra-time winner.

Following an appeal by the Moroccan FA (FRMF), Caf later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match and Morocco were awarded a 3-0 victory.

- Wedaeli Chibelushi

FORMER AFCON-WINNING COACH TAKES AIM AT MOTSEPE OVER AFCON DECISION

 Veteran coach Claude Le Roy has criticised Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe following the decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.

Motsepe 'Attacked' Over 2025 AFCON Decision. Photo: Gallo Images

CAF confirmed that the 2025 AFCON title would be awarded to Morocco after Senegal were deemed to have forfeited the final by walking off the pitch in protest over a penalty awarded to the Atlas Lions.

The decision has sparked widespread backlash, and with the controversy ongoing, Le Roy has now voiced his strong opposition.⁸

According to WiW Sport, the Frenchman described the ruling as “incomprehensible” and was particularly critical of Motsepe.

"I couldn't imagine for a second that the CAF could go so far down this path of absurdity," Le Roy said.

"But when you see how the CAF is run today by Patrice Motsepe, who is essentially Gianni Infantino's lackey, you understand certain things better. From the start, some were determined to give the cup to Morocco. Yet, even though Morocco had a very good AFCON and deserved to go far in the competition, in the final, it was clearly Senegal who were the better team. No one could have imagined that we would hear such a decision two months later," he added.

The 78-year-old suggested the matter is far from resolved and believes further developments are likely, including the possibility of Senegal being reinstated as champions.

"We're in the middle of an election period, so we can imagine all sorts of things happening, only to ultimately decide that Morocco is the champion," Le Roy explained.

"I think this isn't over yet, and Senegal will eventually have its rights restored. But, once again, it's a disgrace to the image of the Confederation of African Football. I think that, initially, there will be an appeals committee, since this is a preliminary ruling," the former Ghana national football team coach continued.

"Then, depending on the outcome, the case could be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But I fear that this decision, unfortunately for a continent with so much potential, will be a laughingstock for the entire football world," he concluded.

- Matthew Petersen

SENEGAL STRIPPED OF AFCON TITLE, MOROCCO DECLARED CHAMPIONS

Senegal say they will appeal after they were sensationally stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) instead declared Morocco champions

Senegal stripped of AFCON title
AFP

Senegal say they will appeal after they were sensationally stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title on Tuesday and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) instead declared Morocco champions, two months after their chaotic final. Several Senegalese players controversially walked off the pitch in Rabat during the final on January 18 in protest when the hosts were awarded a penalty late in second-half stoppage time. After Senegal's players eventually returned having been coaxed back onto the pitch by captain Sadio Mane, Morocco missed the penalty and Pape Gueye went on to score the goal in extra time that gave his team a 1-0 victory.

CAF said that having studied Morocco's appeal, "the Senegal national team is declared to have forfeited the match" and the result was "officially recorded as 3-0" in favour of Morocco.

The CAF Appeals Committee justified its decision by applying Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON Regulations, which state that if a team "refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered (loser) and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition".

The articles add that the team contravening the regulations "will lose its match by 3-0".

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement its appeal "was never intended to contest the sporting performance of the teams participating in this competition, but solely to request the application of the competition regulations".

"The Federation reaffirms its commitment to respecting the rules, to the clarity of the competitive framework, and to the stability of African competitions," the statement added.

Senegal's football authorities said they will appeal "as soon as possible" to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"The Senegalese Football Federation condemns this unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision, which brings African football into disrepute," it said in a statement.

Chaotic scenes

Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal's players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest the late penalty awarded to Morocco.

The controversial spot-kick was awarded by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala right at the end of the allotted eight added minutes in normal time following a VAR check for a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The game was goalless at the time and Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with the spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time.

But Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted 'Panenka' chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.

The game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium then went to extra time, and Gueye's brilliant 94th-minute strike won it for Senegal. 

Several of the team's players posted on social media after the announcement that they had been stripped of the title.

Defender Moussa Niakhate, who plays for French club Lyon, posted a picture of himself lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy with a message that said "they're mad", in an apparent reference to CAF.

In the immediate aftermath of the final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had condemned "some Senegal players" for the "unacceptable scenes".

"It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence cannot be tolerated in our sport, it is simply not right," Infantino, who attended the match, said.

In late January, CAF imposed a series of disciplinary sanctions, including fines amounting to several hundred thousand euros, on the federations of both countries for unsportsmanlike conduct and violations of fair play principles.

The appeal trial of 18 Senegalese supporters, imprisoned since the final and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three months to one year for "hooliganism," which was scheduled to take place on Monday, has been postponed until March 30.

- Agence-France Presse

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PATRICE MOTSEPE JOINS $4 BILLION CLUB AMID MINING RALLY AND GLOBAL EXPANSION

South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, who serves as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is an in-law of President Cyril Ramaphosa, has joined the $4 billion net-worth club, propelled by a rally in gold and copper assets and a strategic expansion into Australia.

Patrice Motsepe joins $4 billion club amid mining rally and global expansion

• Patrice Motsepe, South African mining magnate and CAF president, has reached a net worth of $4.2 billion.

• His wealth growth is attributed to his mining interests in African Rainbow Minerals and Harmony Gold Mining Co.

• Motsepe's ventures now include significant investments in Australian mining, highlighting a strategic copper shift.

• He diversifies into other sectors including financial services and renewable energy through African Rainbow Capital.

• This achievement positions him among a select group of African billionaires who surpass the $4 billion net worth milestone.

Motsepe’s fortune is now estimated at about $4.2 billion, placing him among the world’s top 1,000 richest individuals, according to Forbes data, and making him the fourth South African to ever reach the $4 billion milestone.

The achievement places Motsepe in a small group of African billionaires who have surpassed the $4 billion mark, including Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person; Johann Rupert, the luxury-goods billionaire behind Richemont; Nicky Oppenheimer, the former De Beers heir; Nassef Sawiris of Egypt; Mike Adenuga of Nigeria; and Abdulsamad Rabiu, the Nigerian industrialist whose fortune is anchored in cement and sugar.

Mining strength underpins wealth gains

Motsepe’s rise has been driven largely by his exposure to mining assets, particularly gold. He is the founder and largest shareholder of African Rainbow Minerals Ltd. (ARM), holding a 45.9% stake, and maintains an indirect interest in Harmony Gold Mining Co., South Africa’s largest gold producer.

ARM shares have risen more than 15% since the start of the year, lifting the company’s market capitalisation to roughly $3 billion and increasing the value of Motsepe’s stake to about $1.37 billion.

Harmony Gold shares have gained over 12%, taking the company’s valuation to approximately $14.4 billion and pushing the estimated value of Motsepe’s indirect holding to around $1.7 billion.

The gains have coincided with a surge in gold prices to record levels, as investors reassess monetary policy expectations and seek refuge in safe-haven assets.

Australian copper push signals strategic shift

Motsepe’s mining exposure is no longer confined to Africa. Through his influence at Harmony Gold, the billionaire has backed a significant expansion into Australia, marking a strategic push into copper, a metal critical to electrification and the global energy transition.

Harmony recently completed the $1 billion-plus acquisition of MAC Copper Ltd., owner of the high-grade CSA Copper Mine in New South Wales, one of Australia’s longest-running underground copper operations.

The company is also advancing the Eva Copper project in Queensland, with total development spending expected to reach up to $1.7 billion.

Nasser et Motsepe

From first Black billionaire to diversified capital allocator

Through African Rainbow Capital, Motsepe has stakes in financial services, technology, infrastructure, and renewable energy, including Tyme Group, a Singapore-based digital bank operating across Africa and Southeast Asia.

Despite this diversification, his wealth growth comes amid a $195 million Tanzanian mining lawsuit against his firm, highlighting the challenges of cross-border resource investments.

Nevertheless, crossing the $4 billion mark remains rare among African billionaires, underscoring how commodity exposure, strategic diversification, and influence in sport and politics can elevate industrialists to the global wealth elite.

- OLAMILEKAN OKEBIORUN