AFCON
RUMBLE CONTINUES IN CAF AS VICE PRESIDENT IS SUSPENDED
The big axe may have fallen on one of the highly influential members of the CAF executive committee, Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco. He is the 3rd Vice President and one of those that brought the dramatic change in the CAF leadership two years ago.
He is reportedly handed a one year-suspension. Although CAF has not officially announced the suspension, the online platforms, including that of Lekjaa’s home country, Morocco World News, have been trending with the news.
Lekjaa doubles as President of the Royal Football Federation of Morocco. He was reportedly axed for attacking an Ethiopian referee, Bamalek Tessema after Morocco’s RS Berkane lost 1-0 to Zamalek of Egypt on May 26.
The Ethiopian Football Federation to CAF reportedly lodged a formal complaint.
According to Morocco World News, Neither CAF nor the Moroccan Football governing body have confirmed the rumors of Lekjaa’s suspension.
Moroccan sports outlet Al Mountakhab reported that a South African member of the disciplinary committee of CAF is leading a “ hidden lobbying war” against Lekjaa. The news outlet added that the CAF member supports Lekjaa’s potential yea-long suspension.
Al Mountakhab said that Ahmad Ahmad, President of CAF was not aware of the decision to suspend the FRMF president. The sports platform also added that Ahmad has warned against such a move.
On June 5, the EFE released a statement claiming: “After the game, during the medal ceremony, the third deputy president of CAF, president of Morocco Football Association and honorable president of RS Berkane FC, MR Fawzy Lkeia ,[sic] beat n MS Bamalek Tessema with head butt with aggressive and forceful manner.”
The EFE also accused of RS Berkane of harassing the referee.
“After players saw MR Fawzy Lekia [sic] in action they started to harass and kick him fortunately he was saved by securities.”
Following the game, Lekjaa strongly condemned the referee’s judgement during the match.
FRMF addressed a letter to CAF describing the referee’s performance as “scandalous” and “shameful.”
According to FRMF, the game between the two sides was fraught with “bad interpretation and application of the rules.” In addition to controversially favoring the Egyptian side in the course of the game, the letter suggested that the referee “shamefully” ignored a rule that cost Berkane the penalty shootout.
FRMF argued that the Ethiopian referee of the match “allowed a player who should have been sent off to continue to play and influence the outcome of the match.”
The Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has sacked its Serbian coach, Milutin Sredojević who is popularly known as Micho.
This is coming ahead of Libya’s back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations clashes with Nigeria next month.
Paradoxically, Sports Village Square gathered that the coach’s contract was only recently renewed for six months before the axe fell on the Serbian.
His sack was precipitated by the results obtained in their teo matches of the AFCON qualifiers.
Libya drew 1-1 with Rwanda at home and lost 2-1 away to Benin Republic despite beig a goal up at half time.
The Libyan side, Mediterranean Knights are due to play against the Nigeria Super Eagles in Uyo on 6 October while the return leg holds on 14 October at the 11 July Stadium in Tripoli.
According to information Sports Village Square gathered from Tripoli, the Mediterranean Knights’ coach, Micho led the Libyan national team to win nine matches since taking over in October of last year, he failed to build a strong team due to his poor choices.
He also took a risk with the footballers chosen in the AFCON qualifiers, and the result was shocking to the Libyan sports audience.
According to sources close to the Libyan Football Federation, there is a strong tendency to sign a national coach to lead the Libyan team during the remaining qualifiers for the African Cup of Nations.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe has lashed out at Ghana and some other African countries whose home grounds were recently banned from hosting CAF matches owing to inadequate facilities. He made the remarks in Nairobi, Kenya during a press conference,
After the MatchDay 2 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, CAF ruled Ghana’s Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi as being inadequate to host international matches. Being the only approved ground in the country, Ghana will now look towards either Cote d’Ivoire or Togo for their remaining home matches of the Afcon qualifiers.
Other African countries without approved home grounds are: Djibouti, Chad, Niger, Eritrea, Gabon, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, São Tomé and Burundi.
Motsepe voiced his frustration over the recurring issue of nations being unable to host home games.
“Nothing frustrates me more than a national team or club side having to play home matches outside,” he stated.
He stressed the significance of playing in front of home fans, adding, “You can’t grow football if the national teams or club sides aren’t playing in front of their home fans.”
Motsepe reiterated CAF’s commitment to working with countries to ensure they have at least one suitable stadium to host international fixtures.
“Our conversations in every country are to make sure there is at least one stadium capable of hosting a CAF category C game,” he emphasized.
The on-going CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Coaches Symposium in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire has brought together, the last three coaches that handled the Nigeria national football team.
Gernot Rohr, Jose Peseiro and Austin Eguavoen are part of the the elite coaches currently gathered in Abidjan.
Gernot Rohr whose tenure of 5 years and 55 matches is the longest ever by any coach in Nigeria, is currently handling Nigeria’s Africa Cupof Nations and World Cup qualifying rivals, Benin Republic. He was succeeded in the interim by Austin Eguavoen who is currently having another interim stint.
Peseiro left his position after the Africa Cup of Nations
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