Once again, the Confederation of African Football is creating controversy, after its controversial decision to consider the Senegal national team defeated on the mat, in the final of the African Cup of Nations, and awarding the title victory to the organizing country, which used all methods in order to reach the final and be crowned with it..
The continental body, which accustomed us to such scandalous departures, relied on Articles 82 and 84 of its regulations, to serve the interests of the “good son,” who now runs and makes decisions within the highest football organization in the African continent.
A decision that may seem legal on paper, but it opened the doors to widespread doubt about its background and timing, and even the integrity of the first football institution on the continent, which no longer carries the integrity and credibility that will stand up to it before the African Federation in the coming days.
In terms of form, it cannot be denied that resorting to legal texts is a right guaranteed to any union, and accepting the Moroccan appeal reflects a legitimate procedural path. But, on the other hand, the African sports street raises real questions: Why are such crucial decisions always repeated in ambiguous contexts? Why do they often come at pivotal moments that tip the scales of competition outside the green rectangle? And for the benefit of the same parties every time?
The talk here is not only about a match, but rather about the image of “CAF”, which has been repeatedly damaged in recent years due to vague or contradictory decisions, from replaying matches, to sudden changes in the regulations, all the way to this decision that awarded a continental title on the table, instead of it being decided football-wise on the green rectangle.
The decision to punish the Senegal national team in this way, and on this scale, is considered nothing but a reflection of clear bias, especially in light of the absence of complete transparency in presenting the rationale for the decision to public opinion, knowing that the entire world saw what the star Sadio Mane’s teammates were subjected to from the “contempt” on the field, in terms of unfair decisions by the refereeing team.
The problem does not lie only in this file, but rather in previous accumulations that have made the public’s confidence in the decisions of the Confederation of African Football gradually erode. When crises are repeated, it becomes difficult to convince the observer that everything that is happening is merely an application of the law, far from any other influences or calculations, or serving specific interests.
As these scandals carried out by Motsepe’s body continue, the biggest loser is inevitably African football. Today more than ever, it needs a strong, transparent institution capable of achieving credibility for the most popular game in the world, but it is apparent that until this is achieved, scandals will remain with CAF for a long time, unless a new page is opened called clarity and justice.
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