After the controversy surrounding the AFCON, a new issue could shake African football.
Africans football experienced a particularly eventful March. On March 17th, the CAF Appeal Board stripped Senegal of their victory in the AFCON final (1-0) to award it to Morocco, now victorious 3-0 by default. This decision sparked a wave of reactions.
Following this, the Senegalese Football Federation brought the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to challenge this ruling. Another twist in the tale may still unfold.
But another issue could soon further undermine the continental body. Indeed, the African Champions League quarter-final between RS Berkane and Al-Hilal Omdurman (1-1, 1-0) has now moved beyond the realm of sports and could end up at the CAS.
Doping allegations and threat of recourse to CAS
The Sudanese club officially filed a complaint against the Moroccan team, denouncing the participation of Hamza El Moussaoui, accused of playing despite a doping suspension, as reported by Afrik Foot. The full-back supposedly tested positive for a glucocorticoid, resulting in a 30-day suspension issued by CAF two days prior to the match.
In a statement, Al-Hilal Omdurman claims to have made multiple appeals to CAF without receiving a satisfactory response. The club demands severe sanctions against Berkane, including possible exclusion from African competitions and a review of the match result.
Faced with what it perceives as disdainful silence, the Sudanese club now threatens to bring the case to CAS, asserting to have a solid dossier supported by over a dozen pieces of evidence. This adds further pressure on CAF, already weakened by recent controversies.
