European football governing body UEFA has strongly criticised FIFA’s decision to reverse Folarin Balogun’s automatic suspension, warning that the move threatens the integrity, credibility and consistency of football’s disciplinary system.

In a sharply worded statement released on Monday, UEFA said FIFA had ignored one of football’s fundamental disciplinary principles by overturning a mandatory sanction.

The row erupted after FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended for one year the one-match ban imposed on United States forward Folarin Balogun, making him eligible for Monday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against Belgium.

Balogun had been ruled out of the fixture after receiving a straight red card during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32.

The dismissal followed a VAR review which found the striker had stamped on an opponent, an offence that carries an automatic one-match suspension under FIFA regulations.

Former African champions, D’Tigers finished the latest qualifying window on Sunday, July 5, without defeat after walloping Rwanda 106-62 points to secure a spot in the Second Round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers.

Group C matches of the qualifiers featuring Nigeria, Guinea, Tunisia and Rwanda were hosted in Luanda, Angola.

In the Angolan capital, Nigeria caused an upset by beating high-flying group leaders Guinea 80-79 and Tunisia 84-81.

The D’Tigers’ dominant performance over Rwanda yesterday was the largest winning margin at that stage of the 2027 World Cup African Qualifiers campaign.

They overcame their 1–2 win–loss record from the first round of Group C, played in November, to advance to the second round of the qualifiers for the 12 teams with an encouraging 4–2 record.

(Daily Trust)

• Engr Elekwachi Chukwudi Dimkpa

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has officially reaffirmed Engr Elekwachi Chukwudi Dimkpa as President of the Nigeria Karate Federation (NKF).

The confirmation was announced in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the NSC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Dr Kehinde Ajayi.

According to the commission, the decision settles the leadership crisis that has affected the federation in the aftermath of the 2025 elections and paves the way for renewed stability within Nigerian karate.

Dimkpa, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and the Nigerian Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (FNIEEE), is an engineer, business executive, sports administrator and public servant with extensive leadership experience.

Before assuming the presidency, he served as the South-South Chairman and a board member of the Nigeria Karate Federation, contributing to policy development, athlete welfare, sponsorship and the overall growth of the sport.