Newsdesk - Ghana FA Elections; Team China Rebranding; UEFA Ticket Warning

One Man Standing in Ghana FA Elections

The messy situation surrounding the election of a Ghana Football Association president appears headed for resolution.

An item posted to the GFA’s website indicates the post will be filled at an extraordinary congress now slated for June 17.

Originally scheduled for April 28, the election was put off to buy time for a dispute resolution committee reviewing petitions by Vincent Sowah Odotei and Neil Armstrong-Mortagbe, both candidates for the office.

Odotei and Armstrong-Mortagbe were kept off the ballot for abnormalities in their applications, a decision reaffirmed last week by the committee.

That leaves incumbent Kwesi Nyantakyi, also a CAF executive committee member, as the only man on the ballot heading into the newly rescheduled election.

He was first elected GFA president in December 2005 and will begin another four-year term after next month’s vote.

A proposal for amendments to GFA statutes is also on the agenda for the June 17 congress.

China will rebrand both its national and Olympic teams ahead of a busy June schedule.

The move combines the Chinese Football Association'srevamped Team China logo featuring a dragon and phoenix at its centre as well as the launch of a new website.

 

“With a comprehensive match schedule, a new brand identity and a whole raft of other initiatives planned for the coming months, this is another major step forward for football in China,” said Nick Mould, East Asia president of World Sport Group.

The under-23 Olympic squad kicks off next month with a pair of friendlies against North Korea and Saudi Arabia in preparation for a June 19 fixture against Oman, also China’s opening qualifier for London 2012.

Meanwhile, the senior side will take on Uzbekistan and North Korea as preparation for July 23 match against either Cambodia or Laos, in this case a qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

“It is an exciting time to be involved in Chinese football as we continue to look towards the future with the fine array of talent that is now making its presence felt within our various National Teams,” CFA general secretary Wei Di said in a statement.

“We are working closely with our partners at CFIDC/World Sport Group to ensure coaches Gao and Blazevic can be as well prepared as possible for the ensuing qualifiers and we know our players will go into these games ready to do our country proud.”

UEFA is reminding Barcelona and Manchester United fans still hoping to buy tickets to for the Champions League final to beware of unauthorised sellers.

“UEFA and the local organizing committee of the 2011 UEFA Champions League final are aware of a number of companies and websites offering tickets and hospitality packages to the match, many of which are advertised at vastly inflated prices,” said a UEFA statement.

“Fans who wish to attend the UEFA Champions League final should be aware that the only authorized sellers of tickets are UEFA and the two finalist clubs and their official agents.”

Man Utd and Barca will meet Saturday at London’s famed Wembley Stadium in a rematch of the 2009 final.

Match-goers may encounter identity checks at Wembley, and fans with tickets bought from unauthorized sources will be denied entry.

UEFA also noted that the unauthorized offer or sale of tickets is against UK law and that the English Football Association is the only legal seller of hospitality packages to Saturday’s final.

Peter Gilliéron will serve another two years as president of the Swiss Football Association.

 

The 58-year-old lawyer was re-elected by acclamation Monday at the FA’s general assembly in Bern.

Gilliéron, also a newly elected member of the UEFA Executive Committee, has helmed the SFV-ASF since 2009. 

World Football Insider