CHAN
Morocco – Algeria CHAN episode; Amaju Pinnick condemns infiltration of politics into football
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Nigeria’s member of FIFA Council as well as executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has condemned the denial of Morocco by Algeria to defend at the ongoing tournament, the back-to-back African Nations Championship title the Atlas Lions won in 2018 and 2020.
If Morocco had featured and won the tournament again, it would have been the first hattrick victory in the tournament that debuted in 2009.
“We must preserve the values of world football”, Amaju Pinnick titled the statement he issued late on Tuesday night.
He remarked: “as a member of the world football family and stakeholder in African football, I am concerned that Morocco, the defending champion of the African Nations Championship, CHAN, was hindered from participating in the 2023 edition of the tournament holding in Algeria.
“According to the Moroccan Football Federation, it was compelled to withdraw from the tournament when the Algerian authorities failed to grant clearance to Air Maroc, the official airline of the Moroccan team, to access the Constantine Airport in Algeria, 24 hours to the kick off, after the Algerian authorities had assured the Confederation of African Football, CAF, that it would and CAF in turn had conveyed same assurance to the Moroccan Football Federation.
“Even more disturbing were the political remarks at the opening ceremony and xenophobic chants by Algerian fans.
“While not interfering in any political issues that may exist between both countries, we must be reminded that football promotes world unity and peace and all member countries of FIFA and indeed nations which bid to host events should accordingly be willing and ready to act with the same understanding.
“As has been repeatedly admonished by FIFA and most recently by President Gianni Infantino and Secretary Fatma Samoura at the just concluded FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we must focus on football and not drag the game into every ideological or political differences that may exist between nations.
“I am therefore saddened by these occurrences at the African Nations Championship, a very important tournament in the calendar of African football for the development of home based players.
“I believe that the leadership of CAF and FIFA would apply necessary measures as captured in the relevant articles in the FIFA Statutes to serve as deterrence against future occurrence and to preserve the beautiful game.”
Ghana and Nigeria are paired together for the third time in the qualifying series for the African Nations Championship. They had met in the 2009 and the 2022 series. The aggregate results were in Ghana’s favour.
First in the 2009 qualifiers, Nigeria squandered a 2-0 first-half lead in Accra and lost 3-2. But going into the return leg played in Calabar, they could not score a goal that could have seen them through on away goal rule as they ended the match 0-0.
In the last edition, Nigeria for the 2023 edition, Nigeria lost 2-0 in Accra but levelled up in Abuja after a late 2-0 win. But in the eventual penalty shoot-out, the Nigerian team lost 5-4.
Will they overcome Ghana this time?
There will be no qualifying series for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in North Africa. This is sequel to the withdrawal of Algeria and Egypt.
With the region entitled to three teams, the remaining three – Morocco, Tunisia and Libya qualify automatically.
The age-long rivalry has again been rekindled as the draw for the 2025 African Nations Championship has pitched Ghana and Nigeria together.
Both teams have a rivalry that dates back to 1951 and will have a confrontation that determines which country will qualify for the tournament which is opened only to domestic players.
It is also a measure of the relative strength of the domestic leagues of the countries. Ghana and Nigeria will play just in the second round of the West Africa Zone B qualifier while Togo and Benin will the first round and the winner play against Niger Republic.
The rivalry of Nigeria and Ghana has gone beyond sports, especially in football, It extends to the culinary industry as each claims to be better in the cooking of Jollof rice, hence the ‘Jollof Rice’ controversy.
In another West Africa Zone B qualifiers, Cote d’Ivoire will face Burkina Faso. The first round of qualifiers will be played on the weekend of 25 – 27 October and 01 – 03 November 2024, with the second round confirmed for 20 – 22 December and 27 – 29 December 2024.
Three nations qualify for the tournament from each zone except the East, where one country qualifies with co-hosts Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Finals to be played from Feb 1-28, 2025 in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala.
North Region
Libya, Morocco and Tunisia qualify automatically
West A region
First Round
- Sierra Leone v Liberia
Second Round
- Sierra Leone or Liberia v Senegal (holders)
Mauritania v Mali
Guinea v Guinea-Bissau
West B region
First Round
Togo v Benin
Second Round
Togo or Benin v Niger
Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso
Ghana v Nigeria
Central region
Second Round
Equatorial Guinea v Congo Brazzaville
Central African Republic v Cameroon
Chad v Democratic Republic of Congo
East region
First Round
Burundi v Somalia
Ethiopia v Eritrea
Sudan v Tanzania (co-hosts)
South Sudan v Kenya (co-hosts)
Djibouti v Rwanda
Second Round
Burundi or Somalia v Uganda (co-hosts)
Ethiopia or Eritrea v Sudan or Tanzania
South Sudan or Kenya v Djibouti or Rwanda
South region
First Round
Zimbabwe v Eswatini
Lesotho v Namibia
Second Round
Zimbabwe or Eswatini v Madagascar
Lesotho or Namibia v Angola
Mozambique v Zambia
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