AUCKLAND, New Zealand: Broadcasters were criticized by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday for what he called unacceptably low offers for rights to screen the Women’s World Cup next year.
Offers of just 1 percent of the value of men’s World Cup rights deals have been rejected, Infantino said, for the tournament that starts in July in Australia and New Zealand.
The men’s World Cup has driven FIFA’s expected overall income toward $7 billion for the four-year commercial cycle that ends in December after that tournament in Qatar.
“100 times less, even more than 100 times in some occasions, then this is not acceptable,” the FIFA leader said at a news conference ahead of the finals tournament draw. “I don’t want to mention them, but those who are there, they know it.”
The time zones in Australia and New Zealand mean many games, especially in the group stage, will be played in the nighttime hours in lucrative markets in Europe and the Americas.
“We are not going to accept this,” Infantino said of the broadcast offers, “because we know that the viewing figures for these broadcasters in some big footballing countries for the men’s World Cup or for the Women’s World Cup are actually very similar … meaning their commercial income is very similar for men and for women.”
Infantino took a further jibe at broadcasters who he said pushed FIFA to treat women’s soccer more equally on issues such as World Cup prize money.
The 32 teams at the men’s World Cup in Qatar will share $440 million in prize money, while a prize fund of $60 million was proposed for the first 32-team women’s edition in 2023.
“In some countries, they are quite good at telling us … that we should give more emphasis on equal opportunities, on equality, on non-discrimination, on treating men and women in the same way which is, of course, what we have to do, and we try to do that to the best of our ability,” Infantino said.
“It’s important that everyone puts actions, as well, behind words and we all start to treat women’s football the same way.”
FIFA has changed the commercial model for the Women’s World Cup to earn its own income instead of simply being packaged as an add-on for broadcasters and sponsors doing deals for the men’s tournament.
Infantino suggested a further push for equality for women’s soccer, noting that Olympic tournaments have 16 men’s teams and only 12 for women.
“Women should have 16 teams as well at the Olympic Games,” he said. “These are some discussions we are going to have.”
Adding four women’s teams would need more than 70 athlete quota places when the International Olympic Committee is asking some governing bodies to make cuts to help find space for new sports and control organizers’ costs.
FIFA slams unacceptable TV deal offers for Women’s World Cup
https://arab.news/y5uxj
FIFA slams unacceptable TV deal offers for Women’s World Cup
- Offers of just 1% of the value of men’s World Cup rights deals have been rejected, Infantino said
- “100 times less, even more than 100 times in some occasions, then this is not acceptable,” the FIFA leader said
Mane takes dominant Senegal past Egypt into AFCON final
- Former champions Senegal dominated possession against cautious Egypt
- The result maintained the dominance of Senegal over Egypt
TANGIERS, Morocco: Sadio Mane scored a 78th-minute winner to give Senegal a 1-0 victory over Egypt on Wednesday in their Africa Cup of Nations semifinal in Tangiers.
Former champions Senegal dominated possession against cautious Egypt and will face hosts Morocco or Nigeria on Sunday in the final.
The result maintained the dominance of Senegal over Egypt. The Teranga Lions beat the Pharaohs in the 2022 AFCON final and in a 2022 World Cup play-off. Both victories came after penalty shoot-outs.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah was well contained by the Senegal defense. This was his fifth AFCON and the closest he has come to a winners’ medal is finishing a runner-up twice.
Veteran Senegal center-back Kalidou Koulibaly was yellow-carded after 17 minutes for fouling Egypt striker Omar Marmoush.
It was his second booking in as many matches and ruled him out of the final. The second semifinal will be played later on Wednesday.
Worse was to follow for the 34-year-old based in Saudi Arabia as he sustained an injury six minutes later and had to be replaced by Mamadou Sarr.
Senegal did more attacking in a cagey first half without seriously threatening 37-year-old Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy.
An attempt by Nicolas Jackson flew over and, soon after, teammate Pape Gueye was on target with a low angled shot, but it lacked power and was comfortably saved.
- Heated exchanges -
The rival benches became involved in heated verbal exchanges and some pushing as half-time approached, leading rival head coaches Pape Thiaw and Hossam Hassan to appeal for calm.
Thiaw and Hassan were then addressed by the referee and order was restored in the rival dugouts.
Egypt threatened the Senegal defense for the first time in added time at the end of the opening half when awarded a free-kick close to the touchline.
But the set-piece delivery from Salah slipped through a crowded goalmouth and out of play beyond the far post.
Both teams made changes for the second half. Egypt replaced Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh with Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan and Senegal introduced Lamine Camara for Habib Diallo, who had been cautioned.
As the semifinal passed the hour mark, the pattern of the opening half continued. Egypt were content to let Senegal have more possession, confident they would snuff out any threat to El Shenawy.
With 15 minutes of regular time remaining, Egypt had not had a goal attempt on target nor had they forced a corner.
Finally, with 12 minutes remaining, the Senegalese pressure was rewarded with two-time African player of the Year Mane scoring.
An ambitious long-range effort by Camara was deflected to Mane, and his low shot flew past El Shenawy and into the net.
