Comoros are pushing the Confederation of African Football (Caf) to further kick Cameroon out of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations after stripping them of the hosting rights a week ago.
The continental football governing body has been silent on the fate of the Indomitable Lions since the decision to take away the mandate from their country over seven months to the tournament.
Despite being hosts, Cameroon were in Group B of the qualifiers with Comoros, Morocco and Malawi. The results of the Central Africans were clearly spelt out as inconsequential in the group from start.
However, the Coelacanths, who find themselves third on five points behind Cameroon (8) and leaders Morocco (already qualified with 10 points) and are bent on a first-time appearance – at the upcoming continental showpiece, have written to Caf to apply their rules as done in previous cases.
Morocco (Afcon 2015), Madagascar (2017 Under-17 Afcon) and Kenya (Chan 2018) have all been disqualified by Caf after losing their host country status in recent years.
“I was with my president this morning and he sent a letter to Caf asking for clarification,” Comoros FA General Manager Ben Amir Saadi was quoted as telling RFI on Thursday.
“We are asking for the application of the regulation, and more specifically Article 92, which states that a country which is withdrawn from the organization of Afcon does not participate in the edition in question.”
Comoros’ apprehension is seemingly influenced by their final match of the qualifiers in March 2019 which is a trip to Cameroon.
Caf’s silence, the theories?
Cameroon won the hosting responsibilities when it was a 16-team competition. It was however increased to 24.
Caf’s assurances over Cameroon’s ability to host the competition after several inspections are well reported. However, after a recent visit by its General Secretary Tony Baffoe in November we are told, it became quite clear the Cameroonians were far behind schedule.
A difficult but firm decision was eventually taken. Cameroon lose rights, search for new hosts begins, Caf declared in Accra on Friday November 30. Caf in their communique pledged to support Cameroon to host future editions.
Under 24 hours later, reports Cameroon claimed that Caf boss Ahmad had written to the country’s president Paul Biya proposing that it hosts the 2021 edition.
“I would like, Mister President, to assure you, that seeing the efforts that you have already accomplished and in light of the importance of your personnel implication, Caf and its executive committee would be honored if Cameroon accepts to host the 2021 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations,” Ahmad reportedly said in a letter.
The Caf chief also added that he believes that the 2021 tournament will allow Cameroon to “complete in comfort and safety, all the projects planned for this event.”
Article 92 of Caf regulations
It states: “If a country having been entrusted with the organization of the final tournament of the Africa Cup of Nations is desisting or the tournament is being withdrawn from it, it shall be subject, in addition to further disciplinary sanctions, to a fine fixed according to the following scale:
“92.3. Withdrawal notified within one year before the date of the final tournament: a fine of five hundred thousand (500,000) U.S. dollars and a suspension of the next edition of Afcon of it’s A national team, without considering the concerned edition.”
If the supposed letter is anything to go by vis-à-vis the petition by Comoros, is Caf prepared to bend its rules on the reigning African champions for the 2019 Afcon?
