Eliminated against Cameroon in the round of XNUMX, despite a heroic run, the selection of the Comoros has not finished under pressure from CAF. In a press release, the body announces sanctions against the Coelacanths.
Comoros' first participation in the African Cup of Nations (CAN) will go down in history. After a surprising victory against Ghana in the group stage and an unlikely qualification for the round of XNUMX, the Coelacanthes ultimately lost to Cameroon. A tragic match, especially at the exit of the stadium, where a deadly stampede left several dead.
Sportingly, the meeting was also a fiasco. The Comorians had to do without the only training goalkeeper at their disposal, due to a health protocol modified by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at the very last moment. It was Chaker Alhadhur, Ajaccio's full-back, who had to keep the goals. Goalkeeper for a day, he shone with many saves but could not prevent defeat.
The Comorian selection also had to get ready on the bus, in the absence of the promised procession to arrive at the Olembe stadium. Without forgetting, of course, the conditions of stay in Cameroon, which have not finished talking for several teams, including the Comoros.
High point of the disorder which reigns on the spot: in a press release published this Thursday, the CAF announced sanctions against the Comoros.
PENALTY ALERT 🚨🚨🚨
CAF Disciplinary Jury sanctions against Comoros 🇰🇲
It's lunar 🤡 pic.twitter.com/ld8jrtxlpl
— Nordine Ali Said (@linstant_n) January 27, 2022
CAF disconnected from reality
Among the most surprising sanctions, that of a fine to the Comorian Football Federation (FFC) for “the delay caused by their players”. A delay of… two minutes, caused by an error in the jersey number, for which the FFC was fined another separate fine.
CAF also believes that the Comoros would not have respected the health protocol. Another fine, then. And, finally, the suspension of goalkeeper coach Jean-Daniel Noel Patrice Padovani, accused of "disrespectful behavior".
So certainly, CAF could probably explain these sanctions from a legal point of view. But given the context, and faced with the controversy caused by the refereeing of the match between the Comoros and Cameroon, and everything that preceded the game, CAF seems to be hounding the Comorians who criticized the organizational capacities of the instance of Motsepe.
A determination noted by the press and several observers. For investigative journalist Romain Molina "CAF is quicker to sanction this kind of thing than the real problems". He considers the penalty for the two-minute delay to be “surreal”.
Surreal to sanction in particular the Comoros for a delay of two minutes…
CAF is quicker to sanction this kind of thing than real problems like pedocrime at the Gabonese federation pic.twitter.com/aq43h1w3nk
- Romain Molina (@Romain_Molina) January 27, 2022
However, despite their elimination, the Coelacanths showed heart in this first participation. The Comorian selection left the competition to the applause of the public. Today, CAF is spoiling the party.
