What happened this time exceeded the limits of sporting logic, after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decided to impose sanctions described as scandalous against Algeria, in a scene that re-posed new old questions about the standards of justice within the house of African football. After CAF announced that goalkeeper Luca Zidane and defender Rafik Belghali were banned from two official matches with the national team in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, in addition to imposing financial fines on the Algerian Football Federation amounting to $100,000, according to what was reported by continental media and official CAF statements.
However, what is striking in this case is that the sanctions came in an exceptional context, affecting Algeria alone and not other teams and players, despite the more serious and clear violations witnessed in the tournament itself. Specifically here, Algerian sports commentator Hafid Draghi, in an angry post on his Facebook account, stopped at this blatant contradiction, expressing with biting sarcasm CAF’s justification for punishing the federation due to the actions of the fans, which the continental body described as “harming the reputation of the game on the continent,” saying with disapproval: “Wow… they said reputation.”
On the other hand, this position raises legitimate questions about CAF’s silence about other transgressions, especially in anticipation of expected sanctions against Senegal, the African champion. This is what Draghi considered a violation of the principle of equal opportunities and fair competition, which is supposed to be the basis of every continental competition.
From another angle, these sanctions cannot be separated from the widespread controversy that accompanied the African Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco, a tournament dominated by organisational, arbitration and media criticism, from weak decisions, to turning a blind eye to provocative practices inside and outside the stadiums, without real deterrence. Instead of addressing the imbalances, CAF chose the easiest way, by directing punishment to those who raise their voices or deviate from the text.
In the same context, Draghi stressed that CAF failed to punish what went beyond individual actions, when it overlooked punishing “the Algerian people,” as he put it, in their attachment to their country and their defense of their dignity and principles, and their patience and high sportsmanship throughout the days of the tournament. It is a sarcasm that sums up the bitterness of a general nationalist Algerian feeling, which believes that the problem is no longer just a sporting one, but a moral and institutional one.
Finally, this case reveals once again that African football is still a prisoner of narrow calculations, and that the “reputation of the game” that CAF talks about will not be protected by fines and random suspensions, but rather by justice, transparency, and respect for all teams without exception. Until this is achieved, the voice of Hafid Darraghi, and other free voices, will remain, refusing to remain silent in a time of mediocrity, exclusion and injustice.
@ Alaa my life
#CAF #punished #Algerian #national #team #bend
#oussama_boulegheb #elhiwardz #alakhibariat.xyz #elhiwar #elhiwar-en
