January 15, (THEWILL) – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released a statement regarding political statements made during the opening ceremony of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) Algeria 2022.
The statement emphasised that CAF was “Under an obligation and a duty, in accordance with its Regulations and Statutes and those of FIFA, to not participate or get involved in politics and to be neutral on matters of a political nature.”
According to the statement, CAF was informed that “certain political statements were made during the opening ceremony of the CHAN in Algiers on Friday, January 13, 2023.” The statement went on to note that these political statements were “not the statements of CAF and do not reflect the views or opinions of CAF as a politically neutral organisation.”
CAF announced that it will “Investigate and look into the political statements and events at the opening ceremony of the TotalEnergies CHAN Algeria 2022” and assess whether there was compliance with the CAF and FIFA Regulations and Statutes.
The continental football governing body promised to provide “an update in this regard in due course.” This comes after Nelson Mandela’s grandson Zwelivelile Mandela delivered an anti-Morocco political speech attacking the country’s territorial integrity at the ceremony. There are also concerns about discriminatory behavior from Algerian fans towards Moroccan fans and the decision by the Algerian regime to deny Morocco a direct flight to the country.
CAF is being urged to take action and remind that there is no room for politics, racism, and discrimination in football.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
