Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee confirms provisional measures imposed on Mohamed bin Hammam Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the Ethics Committee confirms provisional measures imposed on Mohamed bin Hammam © Foto-net The chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, Hans-Joachim Eckert, after having invited Mr Bin Hammam to submit a written statement, confirmed the provisional measures imposed on Mohamed bin Hammam. The decision was taken following the procedure stipulated in art. 84 par. 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics. On 26 July 2012, at the request of the Chairman of the Investigatory chamber of the Ethics Committee, Michael J. Garcia, the chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber had provisionally banned Mohamed bin Hammam from taking part in any kind of football-related activity at national and international level for a period of a maximum of 90 days on the basis of art. 83 par. 1 of the FIFA Code of Ethics. In addition, the Chairman of the Appeal Committee, Larry Mussenden, rejected the appeal lodged against the decision on the provisional measures imposed on Mohamed bin Hammam on 26 July 2012. The Deputy Chairman of the Appeal Committee, Ahmad (given the fact that the Chairman of the Appeal Committee declined to participate from that case due to the fact that he had already dealt with the case under different circumstances in relation to the previous appeal) rejected the appeal lodged against the decision of the Chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee extending the provisional suspension imposed by the Chairman of the AFC Disciplinary Committee on Mohamed bin Hammam.

Showstopping Ordega sees name in lights Nigeria’s Francisca Ordega has scored four goals in helping her side reach the last eight of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012, including a hat-trick against Italy in the final match in Group B. Far from resting on her laurels, however, the in-form forward is still going over a chance she spurned against the Italians. “I don’t know how I could have missed it,” she asks herself in the company of FIFA.com. “If five chances come my way, I should do my very best to take all of them.” It might sound as if the Nigerian is being too hard on herself, but given the objectives she has set, she has no option but to be demanding. The first of those targets was to reach the second round at Japan 2012, one Nigeria have achieved thanks in no small part to Ordega’s finishing. “When you’re a striker you have days when you feel great and you sense that every ball you touch is going to turn to gold,” she said after her performance against Italy, which ensured Nigeria top spot in the section and a quarter-final date with Mexico. “I’ve been dreaming of this moment. I’ve been working hard for it and the dream has now become a reality.” Let’s dance The next objective is to combine personal success with a team triumph. Losing finalists at Germany 2010, the Falconets are determined to go one step further this time around, none more so than the Rivers Angels striker, who was not on duty in Germany two years ago but has already endured her fair share of disappointments in her young career. On the losing side in the last eight at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Trinidad & Tobago 2010, she also formed part of the Nigeria squad that exited the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ at the group stage, bitter experiences that she hopes to use to guide her less seasoned team-mates to the top. “I’ve been trying to encourage them all the way but the best thing you can do is to lead by example,” said Ordega, an Arsenal fan who draws her inspiration from Thierry Henry, Fernando Torres and Abby Wambach. “I give my very best because youngsters look up to the more experienced players and try to follow in their footsteps.” The trail Ordega is blazing seems to be an easy one for her colleagues to follow, never more so than when she launches herself into one of the celebratory dances that follow her goals, an art she was able to perfect against the Italians: “That dance isn’t rehearsed at all. It’s just an instinctive thing that turned out that way,” she explained with a burst of laughter. “It’s a Nigerian dance called Azonto and I do it with my friends.” From Tokyo to Hollywood Dancing and goalscoring are not Ordega’s only talents. As the multi-faceted star explained, her love of the limelight could well take her career in a different direction. “My dream is to be an actress,” she said in deadly earnest. “As soon as I hang up my boots I hope to make it in acting. I’m going to start taking classes this year, after the World Cup.” Right now, though, Ordega is in no mood to rush things, content as she is to take each objective as it comes. “I need to achieve things one at a time and not get ahead of myself,” she said before announcing, with a firm sense of conviction in her voice: “I think we can lift the trophy. After that I can start thinking about something new.” When asked if she had a preference for being a successful actress or the best striker in the world, her answer was immediate: “Why choose between the two? Best striker one day, best actress the next.” Whatever the future holds for Francisca Ordega, should her story ever make it on to the silver screen, there is no question who would be playing the starring role.

Daei disciple Ansarifard thinks big Ali Daei has never been short of admirers in his homeland, but one of his most fervent fans is a promising Iranian star who has recently been likened to the living legend by media and supporters alike: Karim Ansarifard. At 1.86m, Persepolis’ new signing possesses all the elements needed for a classic centre-forward like Daei. In fact, Ansarifard was first spotted by his idol in 2005 before spending the next couple of years cutting his teeth under him with Saipa. Already an established player now with both club and country, the 22-year-old admits that he has lost none of his admiration for his mentor. "Ali Daei is my idol," Ansarifard told FIFA.com in a recent exclusive interview. "As you know he is one of the world's all-time scoring greats and the best international goalscorer. I still enjoy watching the goals he scored back in his primetime." Daei is not, however, the only role model from whom the striking prodigy can draw inspiration. "My favourite foreign player is Fernando Torres," he continued. "While most European strikers should be good examples for me, I favour Torres particularly and have been following up his skills for the last four years." Meteoric rise While Torres enjoyed free-scoring form with Liverpool upon his move to England in 2007, the same period saw the emergence of Ansarifard, who quickly repaid Daei's faith with his goals for Saipa after he was selected to the first team that year. He went on to take the Iranian Pro League by storm in the 2009/10 season, scoring 13 times as Saipa finished eighth in the 18-team standings. He has since continued to flourish on the local scene with an ever-growing scoring rate, finishing the past season as the league's top scorer with 21 goals, plus five assists. I still enjoy watching the goals he scored back in his primetime. Karim Ansarifard on Ali Daei "As a young footballer, I have set some goals for myself," he revealed. "During my six seasons with Saipa, one of my goals was to become the league's top scorer. Fortunately I could achieve this at the age of 21 and this has proved to be the only title I could win with Saipa. I am thankful to God and all my team members as well." His brilliant form earned him a high-profile move to Tehran giants Persepolis in June this year, while big European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund and Everton were also reported to have shown interest in him. Ansarifard, though, insisted the Spanish La Liga is his first choice. "I had a few offers from Europe and some Arabian countries prior to this season," he explained. "But I would admit that I personally favour the Spanish league. As for Persepolis, my contract with the club allows me to leave whenever I want to join a foreign club." Iran's No10 Given his phenomenal scoring form with Saipa, it was only natural that Ansarifard broke into the national team under then Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi in 2009. Donning the No10 jersey which once belonged to Daei, Ansarifard has racked up seven goals in 31 international appearances, including netting a 62nd-minute match-winner against Korea DPR in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. "That should be the most memorable goal that I have scored so far," he recalled. "It was the goal during the match and thus took us into the quarter-finals in the Asian finals." He would go on to thrive under Carlos Queiroz, who took over in April 2011, scoring twice as Iran swept past Maldives 4-0 in a qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Me and my team-mates have promised to do whatever we can to achieve our ultimate goal - to qualify for the World Cup. Ansarifard After coming off bench to set up Mohammad Khalatbari to score the only goal against Uzbekistan in June's final qualifying round opener, Ansarifard was quick to pay tribute to the former Portugal coach for his faith in him. He said: "Working with Queiroz is very enjoyable because you learn something new everyday. He treats his players in such a way that more or less we have a father and son relationship with him. He is the best foreign coach in Iran and I hope our team can go to Brazil 2014 under him." Currently sitting second behind Korea Republic with four points, Iran take on Lebanon in their third fixture on 11 September, before entertaining the group leaders on 16 October. For Ansarifard, two consecutive wins will put them into the driving seat for earning one of the group’s two automatic qualifying spots. "Three points are definitely our target at Beirut but we will try to defeat South Korea at home in the next game," he concluded. "The two victories will be likely to boost our hopes as the campaign reaches the midway mark. And me and my team-mates have promised to do whatever we can to achieve our ultimate goal - to qualify for the World Cup."

Reasons to be cheerful for Canada ( Canada’s players were unable to hold back the tears as the final whistle sounded at the end of their 2-1 loss to Korea DPR in Saitama on Monday. Knocked out all too early at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012, they were left to reflect on what might have been, having kicked off their campaign with a 6-0 defeat of Argentina and made ambitious plans for the future. Two back-to-back defeats quickly put paid to their hopes, though with the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ coming up on home soil in 2015, not to mention the 2014 edition of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, the young Canadians have plenty to look forward to in the years ahead, with bright prospects like Christine Exeter already contemplating the chance to take on the world's elite in three years’ time. “One way of getting over this defeat is to look to the future,” the Louisiana University forward told FIFA.com after their elimination. “Playing in 2015 is a personal dream of mine and I’m going to work hard towards that. I’m still studying but I hope to take part in the training camps next year. I also hope that John Herdman [Canada’s senior national team coach] has been impressed by some of us. It’s not for now, but it’s definitely an objective that motivates us.” There is another very good reason why the patient Exeter has every chance of making the transition to the senior team, as she explained: “A lot of players are going to be leaving the national side and I think that’s going to open up more and more space for this generation. That’s sure to lift our morale in the next few months because this is not the end for us, far from it. Knowing that there’s something really big coming up is going to make us even stronger.” Future stars Like Exeter, the Canadian players set to contest the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Azerbaijan 2012 later this month also have future goals to fulfil, chief among them the opportunity to represent the country at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in 2014, also to be staged on home soil. Making that point in the press conference that followed his side’s defeat to the North Koreans was Canuck coach Andrew Olivieri. “With the U-20 World Cup in mind we’re going to be keeping an eye on the girls who’ll be in Azerbaijan,” he said. “And as far as the 2015 World Cup’s concerned I think a lot of players from my team are going to be there too. Playing here has been crucial to the team’s development and I hope they can take the opportunities that come their way in the future.” As far as the 2015 World Cup’s concerned I think a lot of players from my team are going to be there. Canada coach Andrew Olivieri The next few years promise to be busy ones for the North Americans and are sure to provide a major boost to the popularity of the women’s game in Canada. Indeed, Exeter got a little taste of what might be coming her way in 2014 and 2015 as she walked off the pitch at the Komaba Stadium, arm in arm with three of her team-mates. Called over to the stands by a small band of Canada fans, the players were presented with the national flag and a bundle of CDs, a gesture much appreciated by Exeter and her colleagues and an indication of what they can expect in the coming years. “We’ve been really taken aback by the reaction of some of the fans here,” she said. “They’ve given us gifts and told us how proud they were of us. I hope those sentiments will be even stronger come 2015.”

Marvels, milestones and rivalry reprised FIFA.com's latest stats review features memorable moments for David Beckham, Javier Zanetti and Aaron Johannsson, a long-awaited Ligue 1 win for Reims, and broken records in Spain's biggest fixture. 1000 CONCACAF Champions League goals was the landmark reached in spectacular style on Thursday, when David Beckham scored direct from a corner. This is the third such goal for the LA Galaxy in his long and illustrious career, and comes 17 years on from his first, while he was on loan with Preston North End in 1995. It helped give the MLS champions a 5-2 win over El Salvador’s Isidro Metapan, and it took CONCACAF's club showpiece onto the 1000-goal mark in its 249th match. 800 Inter Milan appearances is the latest milestone to have been reached in the extraordinary career of Javier Zanetti. The 39-year-old celebrated the landmark in Inter’s 2-0 victory over Romanian side Vaslui in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off last Thursday, and took his tally to 801 against Pescara three days later – playing 90 minutes in both matches. Monday marked the 17th anniversary of Zanetti’s first Inter appearance, and the veteran utility man - who already holds the record for most appearances for both his club and Argentina’s national team (145) - is still going strong. His Inter coach, Andrea Stramaccioni, three years Zanetti’s junior, said of this latest achievement: "I don't think I've even seen 800 games in my whole life! Zanetti should be cloned, because in my view he is not human. He's bionic." 87 Clásico wins is the identical tally with which Barcelona and Real Madrid go into this evening’s Supercopa second leg, and should the Catalans triumph, they will lead the head-to-head standings for the first time in eight decades. The historical score was left deadlocked after Barça’s 3-2 win at the Camp Nou last Thursday, the first Clásico to witness five or more goals in the second half since Real won by an identical scoreline in 1961. The match also included landmark goals for the teams’ stars, with Lionel Messi equalling Cesar Rodriguez’s club record of 14 goals against Real, and Cristiano Ronaldo becoming only the fifth player to score in four successive Clásicos. Real go into tonight's match aiming to make amends after their 24-match unbeaten La Liga record came to an abrupt end at Getafe on Sunday. It was the first time in over five years that Real had been beaten after leading at half-time, and the first time since August 2006 that any Jose Mourinho team has surrendered a winning position in such circumstances. Real now trail Barça by five points in La Liga, the biggest gap there has ever been between these fierce rivals after just two matchdays. 33 years after their last Ligue 1 win, Reims finally ended their long wait for another top-flight triumph. It came in dramatic and unfortunate circumstances, secured by a 94th-minute own goal by Sochaux’s Sloan Privat, but the manner of the victory mattered little to a club that had gone 12194 days without one. Marseille, meanwhile, sit atop Ligue 1 after starting the season with with three straight wins for the first time since 1998/99. Incidentally, that campaign ended with the south coast giants in second place, pipped to the title by a Bordeaux side led by the current L’OM coach, Elie Baup. Marseille’s latest success was a 1-0 win at Montpellier on Sunday, the reigning champions’ first home defeat since 24 September 2011. Crucial to Baup’s side’s fine form has been the renaissance of Andre-Pierre Gignac, who has four goals and one assist in six competitive appearances this season, having failed to find the net in the last Ligue 1 campaign until the 37th round of matches. 3 minutes and 50 seconds was the time in which Aaron Johannsson scored the quickest hat-trick in the history of the Danish Superliga on Saturday. The 21-year-old AGF Aarhus striker carried out a one-man demolition job of AC Horsens, scoring all of his team’s goals in a 4-1 away win. But it was by notching up the first three of those strikes in the 32nd, 33rd and 36th minutes that the Iceland U-21 international set a new record in his adopted country, eclipsing the previous benchmark, set when Ebbe Sand hit a four-minute-and-two-second hat-trick for Brondby against Vejle BK on 7 November 1997. Add your comment