CAPE TOWN, March 18 (Reuters) - The controversy over January's Africa Cup of Nations final will come as a major blow to the continent's hopes of elevating the status of its flagship competition.
Tuesday's decision by the Confederation of African Football's Appeal Board to strip Senegal of the title and hand it to opponents Morocco adds to the chaos that characterised the final in Rabat, where Senegal walked off the pitch to protest a VAR decision before returning to win the game 1-0.
Their walk-off has been adjudged to have contravened tournament regulations and led to the Appeal Board handing Morocco the title and awarding them a 3-0 victory scoreline.
But the decision is to be appealed by Senegal, which is certain to drag out a storm that has harmed the image of African football.
“We need to get back to some common sense. And what’s going to come of all this? What will people say about African football now? That it’s not serious, that it’s not rigorous. It saddens me, especially since it’s improving,” Alain Giresse, who coached four African national teams including Senegal, told the French daily L’Equipe on Wednesday.
“This is ridiculous, the Senegalese went home with the cup, celebrated and partied. Frankly, this discredits the CAF once again," added former France international Samir Nasri on French television.
“Serious credibility issues will be raised when football officialdom in Africa can operate like a kangaroo court where obscure, inexplicable, and controversial decisions can replace fair and transparent decisions taken in broad daylight by referees,” said former CAF vice president Kwesi Nyantakyi.
The Moroccan federation, however, argued that the strict application of the rules would help African football.
"This decision helps clarify the framework applicable to similar situations and strengthens the consistency and credibility of international competitions, particularly African football," the FRMF said in a statement on Wednesday.
UNACCEPTABLE INCIDENTS
The controversy reignited a day after CAF president Patrice Motsepe met with an array of sponsors and international broadcasters.
On Monday, CAF claimed preliminary research numbers released by independent agencies had shown a 61% growth in viewership for the tournament in Morocco, “making AFCON one of the biggest growing sporting properties globally”.
Motsepe had conceded the events of the final, in which the Senegal coach ordered his players off the pitch, footballers fought each other, and the ball boys stole the equipment of the Senegal goalkeeper, were bad for the African game.
“I was extremely disappointed with the unacceptable incidents that took place at the final,” he said in a statement issued almost two weeks after the match.
“I am absolutely determined to maintain and advance the integrity, reputation, and global competitiveness of African football and CAF competitions,” Motsepe added.
Immediately after the game, FIFA president Gianni Infantino wrote on his Instagram account: "The ugly scenes witnessed must be condemned and never repeated.”
Motsepe has promised a clampdown with heavier suspensions and fines for those who break the rules. He has also promised to raise the standard of refereeing on the continent, which is often heavily criticised.
(Addtional reporting by Julien Pretot in Paris; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
