The respective football federations in the region have a problem that needs to be addressed. Majority of the officials involved in the sport across the region tend to be 50 years and up barely making room for individuals to take over the backend roles that exist within the…
The Middle East stretches some 5,000 miles— nearly twice the distance between New York and San Francisco. The Arab people, spread over a vast expanse, enjoy common bonds of history and tradition. Members of twenty-one different countries, in reality the Arabs consider themselves to be one nation. A…
In what is hopefully the end of this discussion, FIFA’s Secretary-General Jerome Valcke confidently declared that after careful review and trial period: “It was decided that female players can cover their heads to play”. International Football Association Board (IFAB), the governing body of FIFA had finally issued a statement…
Normally when one would hear the above interpret, a cliché-esque story of a group literally created by the fans for the fans, is expected. And honestly, reading them would never disappoint. The same transpired this past weekend in Israel as Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem, the only fan owned club…
The fiasco surrounding FIFA’s executive members to nominate Qatar as host of the 2022 World Cup exposes political errors, both within FIFA and internationally which does not sit well with the need of transparent dialogue in football. The nation’s “unexpected” win, has been widely celebrated by supporters and…
On June 9th, 1990, at 5:00pm (Italy time), United Arab Emirates (UAE) made history by playing their first World Cup match against Columbia under Brazilian manager Carlos Alberto Gomes Parreira in front of a crowd of approximately thirty thousand at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna. The same year…