FIFA announced yesterday it had banned two officials from Nepal and Laos for taking cash during FIFA elections, extending moves to root out corruption that has shaken the international game.
Ganesh Thapa, All-Nepal FA president, was banned for 10 years and fined 20,000 Swiss francs, while Viphet Sihachakr, president of the Laos FA, received a two-year ban and 40,000 franc fine.
FIFA said Thapa, during 2009 and 2011 elections for the FIFA Executive Committee at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) congress, “committed various acts of misconduct ... including the solicitation and acceptance of cash payments from another official”.
Sihachakr accepted a payment from another football official during 2011 elections, FIFA said.
Aguero pleased with De Bruyne impact
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been encouraged by the early signs of his partnership with attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and hopes they can form a strikeforce that will drive the side on to great results.
“I’m really happy because I think the club did a great piece of business bringing Kevin in and you are always happy when a quality player arrives and he is certainly that,” Aguero said.
“The few chances I’ve had to play alongside him have been encouraging because we started to get an understanding of how each other plays.”
Striker Kane expects England to improve
Striker Harry Kane says there is no reason to press the panic button ahead of tonight’s international against France and is confident England can redeem themselves after a lacklustre performance in the 2-0 friendly loss to Spain.
“People need to stay patient. We’re not going to win every game. We’re playing these teams for a reason, to get experience,” Kane said.
“We know what we want to achieve. We’ve got another tough test against France and we’ve got to keep doing things right, don’t panic and go from there.”
Baines confident of return to form
Everton left-back Leighton Baines is confident he will soon be back to his best as he nears a return to first-team action after spending his longest spell on the sidelines following ankle surgery.
Baines scored in a behind-closed-doors friendly win over Preston North End on Wednesday and is eyeing a return to Premier League action for the first time since May 9 this weekend.
“The injury has been new ground for me. It was weird in that respect. I have never had more than 10 days off my whole career in terms of stopping and doing nothing (even in the close season),” Baines said.
“There’s no reason I can’t be as good as I was five years ago. I’m determined to prove myself.”
Maradona undergoes gastric bypass
Argentine Diego Maradona underwent a gastric bypass in the western Venezuelan city of Maracaibo over the weekend and is recovering well, doctors said.
The 55-year-old former World Cup winner went through a similar operation around a decade ago and has battled ill health since his football heyday in the 1980s.
“He is walking and in good spirits,” said Carlos Felipe Chaux, one of the surgeons who treated him, told reporters at a Maracaibo hotel.
Maradona will remain in Venezuela for at least 12 more days to recover, he added.
Nakhid appeals ban from FIFA election
Former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid has appealed to global sport’s highest tribunal over a decision to bar him from the race for the presidency of FIFA.
Under FIFA’s electoral rules, Nakhid needed written backing from five national football associations to be eligible for the Feb. 26 election to replace Sepp Blatter.
He was barred from registering by FIFA’s electoral committee last month because one association had signed letters of support for both Nakhid and a rival candidate.
Yesterday, the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said Nakhid had appealed to it against the ruling.
Johan Cruyff severs ties with Ajax
Legendary club figure Johan Cruyff is to stop working as an advisor to Ajax Amsterdam as a power struggle over the approach to the game continues to rumble at the club.
Cruyff says his vision to improve Ajax’s youth structure is no longer being implemented and wants his name and any connection removed from a playing and development philosophy he has led for years.
It follows last week’s removal of former Dutch international Wim Jonk as head of youth development at Ajax.
Renovating the club’s academy had been at the heart of plans Cruyff laid out for the former European champions with the Dutchman using his weekly newspaper column to announce his decision to step down.
The 68-year-old Cruyff, who is being treated for cancer, won eight league titles and three European Cups with Ajax from 1964-73.