Asian Football Confederation chief Mohamed bin Hammam began his new four-year term as a FIFA executive committee member this week keen to mend fences with his most ardent critics.

But, as the dust settles on one of the most bitter election campaigns seen in football, he insists he will never change his controversial style of leadership.

So disillusioned were almost half of the AFC’s 46 member nations in the way the Qatari runs the regional football body that they voted against him last Friday at their congress in a key show of dissent.

They said he was a dictator, that there was no transparency in what he was doing and argued that local football associations were not getting enough money.

At the forefront of the criticism were two powerful and influential men — FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-Joon and Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) president Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah.

Despite vicious personal attacks on him, Bin Hammam is keen to forgive and forget, conscious that if he doesn’t repair the relationships the battle for power will start again ahead of the next congress in two years.

Then, his presidency will be at stake.

“I have no problems with the remarks Chung made,” he said, referring to the Hyundai scion publicly declaring Bin Hammam had mental problems and ran the AFC like a criminal.

“Chung is one of the people who I would like to restart relations with for the good of Asia,” he added.

Sheikh Ahmad, who also heads the Kuwait Football Association, stepped up his rhetoric after the Qatari accused him and the OCA of vote-buying.

AFC Chief Bin Hammam Keen To Mend Fences … read more »

Early global 2010 World Cup ticket applications are strong but South African hosts have been slow in securing seats to the curtain-raiser Confederations Cup, organisers said Tuesday.

More than 506,000 worldwide online applications for World Cup tickets had been made since ticket applications opened on February 20.

“The tremendous response is extremely exciting and gives us a great deal of confidence,” said Irvin Khoza, chairman of the local organising committee.

“It is now even more important for us to ensure that the Confederations Cup will be a success,” he said.

Only 170,000 of the 646,000 available tickets for the Confederations Cup, traditionally seen as a curtain-raiser to the world’s top football event, have been sold ahead of the eight nation tournament’s kick-off on June 14.

“The Confederations Cup is a important appetiser for the World Cup, the rate at which South Africans are buying tickes is very slow,” said Khoza.

“We encourage South Africans to go and apply for tickets now,” Khoza told reporters. “South Africans must ensure that they fill the stadium so that they are given a test before the World Cup,” he added.

South Africa Slow To Buy Confeds Cup Tickets But WC2010 Sales Strong … read more »

BELFAST – FIFA on Saturday withdrew a proposal to extend half-time breaks from 15 to 20 minutes after it became clear that it would not be adopted by world football’s rules-making body, the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The plan had been opposed by the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, who have the power to block any changes to the rules as they account for half the votes on the IFAB.

FIFA has four votes on the Board and it requires six to push through any changes.

The meeting of the IFAB here was due to discuss proposals for an experiment with sin-bins for yellow card offenders, further trials for an extra assistant referee behind each goal and the possibility of allowing a fourth substitute in matches that go into extra time.

South Africa will stage the best World Cup in history when it hosts the global showpiece in 2010, Barcelona’s Cameroon international striker Cameroon Eto’o said on Thursday.

“FIFA did the right thing in granting the World Cup to us. I say and I repeat that this will be the most beautiful Cup ever held,” the former African Player of the Year told a sport conference in Barcelona.

“People don’t know Africa, when someone talks about Africa, people believe we still use bows and arrows,” the 27-year-old added.

“They will be pleasantly surprised if they go to South Africa. It’s the best way to show the whole world that there is more to Africa than just famine.”

The one month global football fiesta, beginning on June 11 next year, is being staged for the first time in Africa at 10 stadiums in nine South African cities hosting the world’s best teams.

Tickets for the event went on sale last week. Organisers are optimistic about ticket sales but have expressed caution that the event may be affected by the global economic slump.

Stadium construction for the event has been hampered by delays and worker strikes, but concerns that the venues would not be ready have abated with most construction on schedule.

MADRID – Two FIFA agents and several current and former football players with Spanish clubs are under investigation as part of a probe into cocaine trafficking, Spanish media reported Wednesday.

The operation, carried out in Madrid and the Mediterranean port of Valencia, led to the seizure Wednesday of 600 kilos (1,320 pounds) of cocaine hidden in shipping containers, the online edition of sports daily AS said, citing sources close to the investigation.

The reports did not name which footballers were under investigation but AS said some were from first division side Atletico Madrid as well as from second division side Rayo Vallecano and Poli Ejido which is in the third division.

Spain, with its historical and linguistic ties to South America, is Europe’s main entry point for cocaine from the continent, especially from Colombia, the world’s top producer of the drug.

Spanish customs agents seized 21.8 tonnes of cocaine in 2008, according to provisional figures, down from 25 tonnes in the previous year.

Over 8,000 people were jailed in Spain last year for cocaine trafficking.