EMBATTLED Joseph Sepp Blatter says he is stepping down as FIFA President, he disclosed in Zurich Switzerland on Tuesday (02 June).

Blatter decision to step aside comes amid a barrage of allegations of corruption and scandal that has been ravaging FIFA’s image for several years.

In his statement released at the FIFA Headquarters Blatter who was re-elected to a fifth term in office five days ago correctly points out that he has the mandate from FIFA membership to lead.

However Blatter concedes that he does not have the mandate of the entire world of football. This includes fans, players, clubs and all whose lives are intimately and passionately linked to football.

According to his statement Blatter says he will step down at an extraordinary elective FIFA Congress. The next ordinary FIFA Congress is due in the Mexican capital Mexico City on 13 May 2016.

Blatter urges the FIFA Executive Committee to call an extraordinary Congress to elect his successor earlier than the Congress in May next year. He says the extraordinary FIFA Elective Congress should be in keeping with FIFA statues allowing candidates to present themselves and campaign. FIFA’s Independent Chairman for Audit and Compliance Committee Domenico Scala will oversee the electoral process.

Meanwhile Blatter says that until he steps down from office he will focus his energy on effecting far-reaching and unprecedented reforms. These include among other things deep-rooted structural changes.

He seeks to reduce the size of the FIFA Executive Committee. Blatter claims he will introduce term limits for and integrity checks on FIFA Executive Committee members. These are some of the urgent and pressing reforms Blatter is alleged to have resisted for many years.

African football has lost an icon in Ghana's Cecil Jones Attauquayefio

African football is in mourning following the death of Ghana’s Cecil Jones Attauquayefio who lost his fight against throat cancer in Accra on Tuesday (12 May).

As a player the highlight of his ten years as on the Black Stars defender was their winning the 1965 Orange Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.

Attauquayefio’s highpoint as a coach was in 2000 as the recipient of the inaugural Confederation of African Football Coach of the Year award for guiding Accra-based Hearts of Oaks to win the Orange African Champions League and African Super Cup.

He was on the technical bench when Ghana clinched bronze medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Attauquayefio served as Ghana Football Association Vice President and Secretary General in mid 1980s and 1990s respectively

Cameroon and Ghana will defend their women's and men's crown at the 2015 All African Games in Brazzaville Republic of Congo in September

Cameroon and Ghana will defend their women’s and men’s All African Games football crowns in Brazzaville Republic of Congo in September.

This after they each eliminated their opponents in the qualifiers which ended over the weekend.  Cameroon edged Ethiopia 2-1 in the return leg of their women’s qualifier in Yaounde. Cameroon prevailed on 4-2 aggregate.

Nigeria beat Mali 9-1on aggregate. Tanzania piped Zambia 6-5, Egypt edged Senegal 2-1, South African beat Botswana 6-0, as Ghana edged Zimbabwe 4-3. Consequently, hosts Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania qualify for the women’s football event at the Games.

Meanwhile Ghana bounced back from a 0-1 loss in Maputo to beat Mozambique 2-0 in Accra in the men’s qualifiers. Ghana pip Mozambique 2-1 aggregate. Zimbabwe edged Cameroon 2-1 on aggregate, Egypt outplayed Burundi 4-0, Sudan edged South Africa 2-1, as Nigeria piped Zambia 2-1. Senegal and Mali tied 3-all on aggregate. However Senegal advances on the away goal rule. As a result, host Republic of Congo will be joined by Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and Zimbabwe in men’s football at the Games.

The Confederation of African Football has completed draws for qualifiers to the 2017 Orange Africa Cup of Nations and the 2016 Orange African Nations Championships.

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Executive Committee voted Gabon as hosts of the 2017 Orange African Cup of Nations in Cairo Egypt on Wednesday (08 April).

.Gabon got the nod ahead of Algeria and Ghana. The Gabon Football Federation President Pierre Alain Moungengui told the media in Cairo that CAF’s decision to select Gabon is a huge vote of confidence to the country who co-hosted the vent in 2012 with Equatorial Guinea. He assures they will do everything possible to ensure the Nations Cup is a success.

Gabon is in Group I with African champions Ivory Coast, Sudan, and Sierra Leone for the 2017 Nations Cup qualifiers, according to the draws conducted in Cairo on Wednesday. Following an earlier decision by CAF Executive Committee Nations Cup hosts Gabon will play in the qualifiers without their results affecting the group standing.

Tunisia is seeded in Group A which also includes Togo, Liberia and Djibouti for the 2017 Nations Cup. According to the draws the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola Central African Republic and Madagascar are in Group B. Group C consist of Mali, Equatorial Guinea Benin and South Sudan. Group D features Burkina Faso Uganda, Botswana and Comoro Islands.

Zambia, Republic of Congo, Kenya and Guinea Bissau are in Group E. Cape Verde Islands are in Group F which also includes Morocco, Libya and Sao Tome. Group G features Nigeria, Egypt, Tanzania and Chad. Group H includes Ghana, Mozambique, Rwanda and Mauritius. Algeria, Ethiopia, Lesotho and Seychelles are in Group J. Group K consists of Senegal, Niger, Namibia and Burundi. Guinea, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Swaziland are in Group L, while Group M features Cameroon, South Africa, Gambia and Mauritania.

In an earlier development  CAF released the fixtures for the 42 teams vying for the 15 spots up for grabs to the 2016 Orange Nations Championships in Rwanda.

Defending champions Libya face Tunisia and Morocco in a two leg round robin contest to determine the two who will qualify for Rwanda. According to the draws conducted in Cairo Egypt on Sunday Guinea Bissau play Mali, Mauritania face Sierra Leone as Senegal engages Gambia.

Elsewhere Ghana play Ivory Coast, Nigeria meet Burkina Faso and Niger encounter Togo. The Democratic Republic of Congo face Central African Republic, Cameroon play Republic of Congo and Chad engage Gabon.

Meanwhile Tanzania face Uganda, Djibouti challenge Burundi as Ethiopia face Kenya. Zimbabwe play Comoro Islands, Lesotho engage Botswana, Namibia play Zambia, Mozambique face Seychelles, South African tackles Mauritius and Swaziland engage Angola. These qualifiers start in June

African Union Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamin-Zuma is to receive the Confederation of Africa Football's highest accolade the Platinum Order of Merit award today Tuesday 07 April 2015

AFRICAN Union (AU) Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is to receive the Confederation of Africa Football’s (CAF) highest honor in Cairo Egypt today Tuesday (07 April).

CAF will confer its Platinum Order of Merit award on Dlamini-Zuma at its General Assembly. The award is in recognition of the immense contribution the AU has made through its vision Agenda 2063.

According to a CAF statement, Dlamini-Zuma who is a medical doctor by profession, has since assuming office on 14 June 2012, lead the AU in partnering with CAF on a number of significant social responsibility initiatives in the area of public health. These include the fight against AIDS, malaria, and more recently Ebola.

In addition under Dlamini-Zuma’s stewardship, the AU has worked closely with CAF in promoting formal education in Africa. The AU-CAF partnership has also actively sought to spread the culture of peace and reconciliation throughout the continent especially in countries once ravaged by armed conflict.

Dlamini Zuma will be the second recipient of CAF’s highest accolade. The first went to Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. He received the award at the opening ceremony of the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations in Malabo Equatorial Guinea on 17^th January.

Tunisian Slim Aloulou will posthumously received the CAF's Gold Merit Award

At the same function in Cairo, CAF will award posthumously the Gold Order of Merit award to Slim Aloulou of Tunisia.

Aloulou who pass away in January was elected onto the CAF executive in 1988. CAF President Issa Hayatou said Aloulou was a key legal adviser. He is also a former FIFA executive committee member.

“His legal advice was always relevant. It was very logical that we relied on his advice.

“We lost a great worker, who in not time contributed to the transformation of the statues of CAF. Above all I lost a great friend,” Hayatou recalled in his eulogy shortly after Aloulou passed away.

The Gold Order of Merit award will be presented to his widow Zainab Aloulou.