Just a few weeks ago, yours truly expressed serious reservations about Caf’s weird decision ordering a replay of the ill-fated Caf Club Champions league match between winners Esperance and Wydad Casablanca and after the latter staged a walked off in protest of the match official’s apparent refusal to consult VAR for verification of their disallowed goal.
Following two hours of on pitch deliberations, the match was eventually abandoned with the Tunisian declared the winner of the contest.
The decision did not seat exactly well with the Moroccans as they sought a replay requesting for the overall nullification of the contest. Caf duly obliged and ordered that the match should be replayed at a neutral venue ordering the Tunisians to return the trophy, including their gold medals.
However, the uncompromising North Africans would have none of that and took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) for divine intervention.
Cas dismissed the ruling on the basis that Caf acted outside the area of its jurisdiction by ordering a replay – referring the case top the relevant authorities, thus leaving the habitual blundering Caf officials with egg on the face.
Now, this once again brings us to the thorny issue of “compliance” with basic rules and regulations that governs football bosses’ togetherness within the structures of the game they so dearly claim to serve from their body and soil. Excuse the pun!!.
The men in blue suits in Cairo were caught with their pants down causing another embarrassment to an organization that’s already in turmoil over damaging allegations scandals of ranging from financial mismanagement, maladministration and dishonesty.
It was crystal clear from the word go that Caf would not have a leg to stand on by ordering a replay, as such a uncommon decision was way outside the area of their jurisdiction and could set a potentially unsustainable precedent for future references. In fact, yours truly is not entirely surprised that this how business is conducted in Cairo looking at the setup of its executive members
Some executive members within Africa’s football governing body arrived at Caf on the ticket of their respective associations but even though some of them have fallen out of favour or ousted by their representatives – they still occupy top positions within the organization. This practice goes beyond any comprehension, to say the least.
Same old crap, just different flies
Back home our domestic football league is unlikely to start on schedule because of ongoing off the pitch wrangles between the country’s football governing body, the Namibia Football Association (NFA) and the supreme affiliate, the MTC Namibia Premiership (NPL).
Obviously, people would always have isolated views on how things should be done but the dominant view amongst the ordinary football followers is that the game should not be played on the green table in boardrooms, with many disputes nowadays founding their ways to the magistrate courts.
This is very disgusting and could scare off potential partners to come on board. Yours truly finds it weird that intellectuals cannot see seat around the table to find solution but would rather resort to dragging each other to courts over petty issues.
All these unwanted shenanigans are all about the result of big egos with those entrusted to administer the game trying to throw their weight around for sheer supremacy at the expense of the real McCoy’s of the game – in this case, the players (footballers) and fans.
Anyway, charity begins at home, yet we are saddled with a tribally motivated portfolio minister who has made his sole beat to appoint blokes into strategic positions even though they have not proven themselves to be authorities on the subject. I rest my case.