The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) are honoured to confirm details of the upcoming Women’s World Football Cup.
Group Stage: Matabeleland FC, FA Sapmi, Tibet NSA and Szekelyföld LE (all teams play against each other once)
Bronze game: 3rd place vs. 4th place
• Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Final: Group winners vs. Group runners-up
Location: Paonta Sahib, in Tibetanian settlement Paonta Cholsum (India)
Click HERE for further information.
The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) are honoured to confirm details of the upcoming African Cup.
• Saturday, May 21, 2022
Semi-Final One: Matabeleland FC vs. Biafra FF at 13:00 CAT (=CET)
Semi-Final Two: Pro Arena Sports FA vs. Yoruba Nation FF at 15:00 CAT (=CET)
• Sunday, May 22, 2022
Bronze Match: 2nd place SF1 vs. 2nd place SF2
Final: 1st place SF1 vs. 1st place SF2
Venue: Parys, South Africa
Stadium: Loubserpark Stadium
Click HERE for further information.
The Confederation of Independent Football Associations would like to welcome Ben McFadyean to our growing team of media professionals.
Ben, a life-long fan of Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, is a football journalist and a football academic at the University of East-Anglia, based in the United Kingdom.
Fluent in five languages including Spanish, Ben spent a large part of his childhood in Mallorca, living in the semi-autonomous region of Spain known as the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears in the Mallorquin language) and is passionate about the power of football for regions and unrepresented peoples.
Ben previously worked with CONIFA at the 2018 World Football Cup in London and said: “I have followed the remarkable work of CONIFA which empowers the football communities of minorities and national peoples who are not recognised by UEFA, FIFA and the other international football federations by staging regular football tournaments.
“In a world where diversity including ethnicity is so much part of identity CONIFA provides a platform for peoples to come together and celebrate their culture and tradition in the context of the ‘beautiful game’.
“I am delighted to be part of the media leadership in Europe and look forward to contributing my work to the football tournaments like the European Football Cup in Nice in June of this year.”
Global Media Director, Tom Howe, added: “CONIFA is privileged to have the opportunity to add Ben’s talent and expertise to its ever-expanding list of media personnel.
“Showing impeccable levels of dedication to his craft, Ben’s background as a football journalist and podcaster can help CONIFA open new doors in terms of coverage for a growing global platform already numbering over 1.1 billion connections worldwide.
“CONIFA continues to develop at pace and additions like that of Ben, as well as Women’s Media Director Rosa Simonet, goes to show our commitment to providing value and resources to our current and future member associations.
“With excitement building ahead of the planned competitions and events across 2022 and beyond, I hope you will join me in welcoming Ben to the Confederation and I look forward to seeing what can be achieved together.”
Contact Details:
Tom Howe – tom.howe@conifa.org
Ben McFadyean – ben.mcfadyean@conifa.org
The Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) takes great pleasure in announcing that the first ever African Football Cup will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa in May of 2022, writes Tom Howe.
Four teams will take part in the inaugural competition, hailed by CONIFA Global President Per-Anders Blind as a ‘unique opportunity to not only show top level football but also to celebrate the beauty of the people of Africa’.
Biafra FF, Yoruba Nation FF, Matabeleland FF and Pro Arena Sports FF will be drawn against each other during CONIFA’s Football Strategy Days (April 22-24), with the format following two semi-finals, a third place play-off and a final.
The two-day competition will take place in the breathtaking amphitheater of the Johannesburg Stadium on May 21-22, 2022 and will mark a major milestone in the development of CONIFA within the African continent.
Ngala Maimo Wajiri, Continental President for CONIFA Africa, said: “It’s a pleasure talking about this reality that has been long awaited. The start is never easy and we find ourselves in that position now as a continent operating under CONIFA. It’s a great pleasure that we will finally be having the maiden edition of the CONIFA African Cup.
“We are beginning our maiden edition with four and of course have plans to add to the numbers in subsequent editions. We have barely two months to prepare for this tournament, we have work to do. No time to sleep till we achieve our goals.
“Personally I am grateful. Special thanks to the Global President Per-Anders Blind, European President Alberto Rischio, Mr Orcun Kamali, Global General Manager Dr Fabio Puntillo, Mr Michael Ukaha and all those who have contributed in making this dream a reality.
“Special thanks to Pro Arena Sports for the wonderful work and the bright man behind it, Mr Tevin Blignaut. Africa is grateful.”
Tevin Blignaut, CEO of Pro Arena Sports, himself said: “Firstly, I’d like to congratulate President Ngala Wajiri on this massive announcement – to be hosting the inaugural CONIFA Africa Cup 2022 here in South Africa.
“The event presents an amazing opportunity for collaboration, new relationships, partnerships and a massive platform for talented athletes, coaches and support staff to showcase their talent in football on a continental level.
“I’d also like to congratulate Pro Arena Sports and the team that put all the effort into pitching, discussing and negotiating with CONIFA Africa for them to partner their brand with us so that we could make history together.
“So now that history has been made and the CONIFA Africa Cup is coming to South Africa – we’re going to do everything in our power to deliver a world class sports spectacle that brings lasting memories for the athletes, coaches, fans in attendance and the nations that are lucky enough to participate.
“Our aim is to deliver an event that announces the CONIFA Africa brand to the world, to deliver a championship that is worthy of the world’s attention.”
Per-Anders Blind, Global President of CONIFA, added: “The CONIFA Africa Football Cup is finally here. Even if it’s a continental tournament, the event will gain a massive global interest, both from fans and media around the globe.
“This tournament couldn´t be done without the excellent pre work done by our Continental President, Mr Ngala Maimo Wajiri in collaboration with Pro Arena Sports.
“A global organisation as CONIFA isn´t 100% complete until we have actions that celebrate the people our member represents, in all continents. For many years, we’ve worked hard and committed from a global level to present a representative tournament for Africa as a continent.
“A unique opportunity to not only show top level football, but also celebrate the beauty of the people of Africa, educate the world of the continent’s greatness, filled with an amazing culture and fantastic stories.
“2022 is for sure a historical year for CONIFA and one of many milestones has finally been reached – and this is just the start for a journey of a hundred years to come.
“Therefore I’m really happy to see that the Africa Committee delegates are growing, both in numbers and engagement – much thanks to the leadership of our Africa Continental President.
“Our ambition is that this tournament will be a springboard towards an even brighter future for our African members. As Global President I wish the organisers, all the players and team delegates good luck in May.
“You are all fantastic ambassadors, both for your people – but also for the whole Continent – true heroes.”
More information and contacts
CONIFA is the football federation for all associations outside FIFA. It’s a global non-profit organization that supports representatives of international football teams from nations, de-facto nations, regions, minority peoples and sports-isolated territories.
Inquiries:
Global media: Please contact Tom Howe, tom.howe@conifa.org
CONIFA Africa: Please contact Ngala Maimo Wajiri, ngala.maimo@conifa.org
Online:
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