In the midst of a legal war between Senegal and Morocco over the final of the last African Cup of Nations, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Patrice Motsepe was expected at the turn on Sunday at a meeting of the institution’s executive committee. But the great leader did not say much, hiding behind his “duty of independence”.
“I will respect and apply the decision of the CAS. My personal opinion on this matter has no importance,” he declared, after the referral to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seized by Senegal which contests the withdrawal on the green carpet of its title of African champion for the benefit of Morocco.
Of course, no one was asking Motsepe to take sides. And it was not his personal opinion that was expected, but that of the head of African football. He could have tried to calm things down, or at least reconsider the way in which the CAF appeal jury, of which he is the authority figure, proceeded. None of that, therefore, at the end of a weekend where Senegal presented its supporters with a trophy that it is not sure of having won and where Morocco increased its threats through the voice of a lawyer.
The South African leader still announced that he was going to go to Senegal and Morocco, without specifying a date, to underline the importance of “working together to develop African football”.
Our file on the African Cup
For its part, CAF affirmed in a press release that it was “implementing changes and improvements to its statutes and regulations which will strengthen confidence in (African) referees, VAR operators and judicial bodies”. These changes “will also ensure that the incidents that occurred during the final… will not happen again,” promises the body.
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