The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has vowed to take a firm stance against unsportsmanlike conduct and gamesmanship by African nations and football clubs.
CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, made this clear while speaking at the 46th CAF Ordinary Assembly on Tuesday, following a recent incident involving Nigeria and Libya.
Motsepe referenced the botched Libya vs Nigeria clash during the last international window, in which the Nigeria national team was stranded for almost 16 hours at Al Abraq Airport without food, water, or internet.
The team's flight, originally bound for Benghazi, was diverted to Al Abraq Airport, located 300 kilometres away from their destination.
The delay caused significant discomfort for the Super Eagles as they awaited clearance to proceed to Benghazi.
CAF: ‘No comment' on Libya vs Nigeria investigation
Motsepe expressed his dismay over such incidents, stating that CAF will now be more stringent with teams and nations that make life unnecessarily difficult for their opponents when hosting them.
“When there was this problem of the Nigerian national team in Libya, I will not comment on that because there is a proper investigation [ongoing], but I want to emphasise the principle we will not tolerate,” said Motsepe.
The CAF president also acknowledged that this issue of unsportsmanlike behaviour has plagued African football for too long.
“I have heard too many stories of a football club or a national team going to a country. You spend hours at the airport, and they ask you for documents that are not required,” he stated.
Motsepe further added that CAF would take strong action against such practices, noting, “These are examples of a lack of sportsmanship that has existed, and we have not taken effective action.”
The Libya vs Nigeria situation remains under investigation, and Motsepe assured that proper sanctions would be imposed.
