A player playing in Nantes was fired by his club because he wanted to play CAN U17 in Algeria. The French club relies on FIFA, which has not included the CAN U17 in its calendar.
The news made a lot of noise in France, but also in Algeria. Nantes player Younes Ben Ali has just been fired from his club after deciding to play in the U17 African Cup of Nations (CAN), the 15th edition of which has been taking place in Algeria since last Saturday.
A decision that caused a lot of ink to flow. For his part, the player claims to have "had the opportunity to represent my country, Algeria", to have "done everything well" and not to have "been disrespectful" towards his club. FC Nantes, on the other hand, affirms that this dismissal is not due to the fact that Ben Ali decided to join his Algerian selection, affirming that FIFA authorizes him not to release his players on the dates of the CAN U17.
“Two problems arise, summarizes a sports journalist. On the one hand, FC Nantes is within its rights, but its player could have toughened up in an international tournament and it seems difficult, morally speaking, to prohibit a player from playing in a continental competition with the colors of his selection. On the other, there is a concern: how can the CAF (African Football Confederation, editor's note) organize a competition that does not fall within the FIFA dates?
FC Nantes in its right
It is undoubtedly this point which poses the problem. In its regulations, the International Football Federation states that "clubs, as employers of footballers, are obliged to make their players available for matches on the dates indicated in the international match calendar". However, the CAN U17 is not part of it.
This has consequences: the clubs that will see their players return from the AFCON U17 injured will not be able to ask FIFA to compensate them under the “FIFA Club Protection Program”.
Each year, the FIFA Council approves the international match schedules. At its last meeting in Rwanda, it decided to create "a nine-day window, with two matches" last March and "a nine-day window, with two matches" in June. The CAN U17 is therefore, at no time, mentioned.
One therefore wonders if FIFA really takes young African players wishing to participate in this AFCON U17 seriously. Especially, continues the sports journalist, that "the CAN U17 is a springboard for the four teams of the final square which will be directly qualified for the U17 World Cup next November".