FOOTBALL
BENIN – Cédric Hountondji will stay at Clermont Foot until 2024

The Beninese international Cédric Hountondji who was about to leave Clermont Foot finally decided to stay there. He extended this Monday, August 2, 2921 until 2024 with the club promoted this year in league 1.
Cédric Hountondji will continue his rise within Clermont Foot for the next three years. A good news for the CF63 which has to play Ligue 1. I am very happy to extend the adventure until 2024 and I thank the club for the trust placed. After having taken part in the club’s historic rise in Ligue 1, my goal is now to stay within the French football elite,” declared the Beninese international.
Courted by several European clubs such as Rennes, Venice and Spezia, Cedric Hountondji remained in Clermont. The 27-year-old defender extended his contract which ran until June 2023 by an additional season.
Arriving in Auvergne in the summer of 2019, the central defender has played 59 matches over the past two seasons, including 36 and 3,320 minutes in 2020-2021. Cédric Hountondji scored a goal by opening the lead against Grenoble Foot 38 in January 2021 in this match.
Cédric Hountondji, born 19 January 1994 in Toulouse, is an international footballer from Benin, playing as a defender at the Clermont Foot.
A LA UNE
CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Robert Beugré Mambé reassured after an infrastructure visit

Yamoussoukro, December 26, 2023- After an impregnation visit of the Charles Konan-Banny stadium in Yamoussoukro, Tuesday, December 26, 2023, the Prime Minister, Minister of Sport and Living Environment, Robert Beugré Mambé, said reassured. The stadium, he said, is ready to host Group C matches from Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea and The Gambia.
‘What we have seen is reassuring. Technically, from the equipment point of view, we are ready at the Yamoussoukro stadium. But we will remain vigilant until the end,” said Robert Beugré Mambé.
The Prime Minister called for on-call teams to be set up in all sectors. We will have specialists permanently because Côte d’Ivoire wants to be up to date, in all circumstances, with the expected benefits of this great country. We have given indications that vigilance is needed,’ insisted the Head of Government.
For this visit, which is part of the visits of infrastructure related to the CAN 2023, the Vice-President of the Republic, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné, accompanied by the Prime Minister and other members of the government, visited the host infrastructure, in particular the President’s Hotel where official delegations will stay.
CAN 2023 is scheduled from January 13 to February 11, 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire with 24 teams.
CICG
FOOTBALL
CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Partenariat: La FIF et le Groupe Carré D’Or ensemble pour la promotion du football Ivoirien

La Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) et le Groupe Carré D’Or ont conclu, ce vendredi 8 décembre 2023 à Novotel Plateau, un accord de partenariat en vue du développement du football en Côte d’Ivoire.
Leader de l’agro-industrie en Côte d’Ivoire depuis la fin des années 90, le Groupe Carré D’Or vient de s’ajouter à la liste des entreprises citoyennes partenaires de la Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (FIF) dans sa mission de développer le football en Côte d’Ivoire. Ce vendredi en effet, à Novotel Plateau, son Directeur Exécutif M. Khalil Ezzedine et le Président de la FIF M. Yacine Idriss Diallo, ont paraphé devant une parterre d’invité constitué de chefs d’entreprises, de légendes du football Ivoirien, de dirigeants sportifs et des médias, un accord de partenariat.
« Au Groupe Carré D’Or, nous avons une politique sportive très développée. Depuis plusieurs années en effet, nous partageons notre passion du port avec les Ivoiriens, sur le plan organisationnel et du sponsoring. Pour nous, sceller un partenariat avec la FIF un fait naturel. Nous sommes donc heureux de soutenir les Éléphants et dans le même temps le championnat national. C’est un réel plaisir de nous associer à la FIF dans sa mission de développement du football en Côte d’Ivoire et à participer à l’encadrement de la jeunesse Ivoirienne », explique le patron du Groupe Carré d’Or.
Pour sa part, le Président de la FIF, M. Yacine Idriss Diallo s’est réjouit de cette union avec le Groupe Carré d’Or.« Notre mission est d’encadrer la jeunesse à travers la mise en place d’une organisation efficiente pour que le football ivoirien aille de l’avant. Et donc dans cette mission là, avoir à ses côtés des entreprises symboliques comme le Groupe Carré d’Or est une fierté et une grande joie pour nous. Nous allons faire tout pour que ce partenariat soit de qualité, qu’il soit gagnant-gagnant sur l’ensemble des produits qui vont être utilisés. Le Groupe Carré d’Or sera donc à nos côtés en partie avec les Éléphants mais aussi sur la Ligue 1 et d’autres activités de la fédération. C’est donc une grosse satisfaction pour nous », reconnaît le Président de la Fédération Ivoirienne de Football.
FOOTBALL
FAILURE OF THE ELECTION OF THE FEGUIFOOT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – Guinea risks missing CAN 2023

The election of the members of the executive committee of the Guinean Football Federation, convened by the Standardization Committee on November 26, 2023, did not take place due to a lack of quorum. This election was therefore postponed to a later date.
The FIFA envoy invites Guinean football players to put aside their disagreements and make compromises for the happiness of football lovers. “Let’s put the egos aside, think about Guinean football, think about the journalists who live off it. Let’s compromise and move forward,” said Gelson Fernandes.
According to the FIFA Special Envoy, it is up to Guinea to deal with this problem. “Guinea is master of its own destiny. We will give our position. Guinea chooses which federation it wants to be in. The ball is in Guinea’s court. If she wants to move forward we will help her, but the ball is not in the CAF’s or FIFA’s court,” he suggested.
Referring to the failure to elect the members of the Executive Committee, Gelson Fernandes acknowledged that this is a serious situation and said he regretted the consequences it could have on the Syli as the CAN approaches which will take place in January-February 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire.
Finally, he invited Guinean football players to put their ego aside to allow Guineans to continue to live their passion to the full.
The term of the current Standards Committee is set for 30 November 2023. Guinean football is waiting.
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