THE CONFEDERATION OF AFRICAN FOOTBALL: All the officials should resign
By Joseph Esivwenughwu
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is the administrative and controlling body for association football, beach soccer, and futsal in Africa. It was officially established on 8 February 1957 at the Grand Hotel in Khartoum, Sudan.
The foundation followed a decision made at the 1954 FIFA Congress in Bern, Switzerland, where Africa was formally recognized as a football confederation.
Representing the African confederation of FIFA, CAF organizes runs, and regulates national team and club continental competitions annually or biennially such as the Africa Cup of Nations and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which they control the prize money and broadcast rights too. CAF will be allocated 9 spots at the FIFA World Cup starting from 2026 and could have an opportunity of 10 spots with the addition of an intercontinental play-off tournament involving 6 teams to decide the last 2 FIFA World Cup places. The 2025 nation’s cup fiesta hosted by Morocco has come and gone but the role played by the officials of the football house has done more damage to the reputation of the continent.
Recently the body has announced to the bewildered world that Senegal which won the trophy has been dethroned and Morocco will now be crowned the new continental champion for 2025.
However, before the officials could celebrate their victory probably because of the accrued benefits made available to them by the host, the teaming populace that loved football more than their cup of tea took on the officials like no tomorrow. To worsen the position of the officials, voices from all parts of the world, and not only the African continent stood vehemently behind Senegal while calling on the officials to come out clean. One of the first speakers was no other person than George Weah, (Ballon D’Or Winner)1995), Three Times African Footballer of the Year (1989,1994,1995), FIFA World Player of the Year 1995, Politician and former President of Liberia said, “Football must be decided on the pitch, not re-decided after the final whistle”. Alabi Tolulope Michael wrote, “This is truly disappointing and frustrating. The integrity of Confederation of African Football must be protected not controlled”.
While the officials of CAF are finding it difficult to eat the vegetable soup served to them by Morocco, an online writer wrote, “It is very simple arithmatics! CAF should go to the market and purchase a new trophy and handover to morocco but the CAF chairman should return the brown envelope he collected from Morocco before it’s too late”. Wayne Rooney did not spare CAF officials either.
He said, “If I were a Moroccan player I wouldn’t accept it. Senegal beat them fair and square”. Less than five minutes when the officials were thinking that Moroccan players would celebrate the rigging magic, the Captain of the Moroccan national team Achraf Hakimi came hard on them thus, “My mum told me to reject the AFCON trophy.
I am officially rejecting the trophy and hope my teammates do the same. We had a chance to win it but we failed to win. —–I respect the CAF decision but I’m officially rejecting the trophy. I didn’t win the 2025 AFCON. Congratulations to Senegal once again”. However, the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye said that the trophy will not leave his office or be handed over to any other country, that it would only happen over his dead body.
The trophy has been deposited with the military and CAF may need the assistance of Donald Trump and Israel to retrieve the trophy. Guinea has called on Caf officials to review and overturn Morocco’s 1976 AFCON Title given that they also staged a walkout. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander.
Some days after the tournament some Senegalese fans were sentenced to prison terms by the Moroccan authorities. All over the world the poor behavior of fans is historical yet none have been wittily hunted like this one. Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has followed his country’s footbal,l association in denouncing Morocco’s jailing of 18 Senegalese fans following January’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Rabat. Rather than settle all these the officials were dancing as if they had won a lottery. While I cald’Or all officials of Caf to resign with immediate effect, the Senegalese should continue to celebrate their victories and also accord those fans jailed a hero’s welcome when they complete their prison terms. I join the rest of the world in congratulating Senegal, the 2025 African champion.
Joseph Esivwenughwu is the former Chairman of Okuetolor Community Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State Nigeria.
