Sports / Soccer
Focus on African football's development, official
03 Feb 2021 at 10:20hrs | Views
AHEAD of next month's Confederation of African Football (CAF) watershed elections, a Royal Moroccan Football Federation official has called on stakeholders to focus on the advancement of the game in the continent rather than politicking.
The race for the CAF presidency is intensifying with Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe, Mauritania's Ahmed Yahya, Ivorian Jacques Anouma and Senegal's Augustin Senghor all vying for the highest football post in Africa.
"It is important in the supreme interest of African soccer, that the campaign for election to the presidency of CAF, the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of CAF is a campaign of ideas, projects and programs.
"Within the framework of the upcoming continental elections, some unofficial spokespersons well known to the African soccer players, which we unfortunately find every time before the elections, have launched into a bidding war through attacks and the dissemination of false accusations.
"The latest (accusation) of which is that Morocco helped Ahmad Ahmad as president of the CAF, which was before he was suspended from all activities related to soccer by FIFA and that a decision of CAS offers him an interlude until the publication of a final decision on March 2, 10 days before the elections," the official said.
Morocco hosted a number of international seminars – one on women's soccer in 2018 and the CAF/FIFA seminar held at the Mohammed VI Complex in Rabat in 2020.
Omar Khyari, advisor to FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa, added: "Morocco and the FRMF through its president Fouzi Lekjaa has contributed to several achievements within CAF but expects nothing in return."
The federation, which will host next month's election as well as the Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, is on record as saying they expected nothing in return.
"The actions and events carried out were in the interest of the development of African soccer. This approach is in line with the strategic vision outlined at the highest summit of the state, in favour of strengthening South-South cooperation and strengthening ties of cooperation and friendship with Africa in particular."
Morocco has over 40 partnership agreements with other federations across the continent. The majority of these partnerships were renewed in 2019/2020.
Khyari believes "the success and evolution of our continent in the development of soccer can only be collective."
The race for the CAF presidency is intensifying with Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe, Mauritania's Ahmed Yahya, Ivorian Jacques Anouma and Senegal's Augustin Senghor all vying for the highest football post in Africa.
"It is important in the supreme interest of African soccer, that the campaign for election to the presidency of CAF, the FIFA Council and the Executive Committee of CAF is a campaign of ideas, projects and programs.
"Within the framework of the upcoming continental elections, some unofficial spokespersons well known to the African soccer players, which we unfortunately find every time before the elections, have launched into a bidding war through attacks and the dissemination of false accusations.
"The latest (accusation) of which is that Morocco helped Ahmad Ahmad as president of the CAF, which was before he was suspended from all activities related to soccer by FIFA and that a decision of CAS offers him an interlude until the publication of a final decision on March 2, 10 days before the elections," the official said.
Omar Khyari, advisor to FRMF president Fouzi Lekjaa, added: "Morocco and the FRMF through its president Fouzi Lekjaa has contributed to several achievements within CAF but expects nothing in return."
The federation, which will host next month's election as well as the Under 17 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, is on record as saying they expected nothing in return.
"The actions and events carried out were in the interest of the development of African soccer. This approach is in line with the strategic vision outlined at the highest summit of the state, in favour of strengthening South-South cooperation and strengthening ties of cooperation and friendship with Africa in particular."
Morocco has over 40 partnership agreements with other federations across the continent. The majority of these partnerships were renewed in 2019/2020.
Khyari believes "the success and evolution of our continent in the development of soccer can only be collective."
Source - Mayibongwe Moyo
