HIBAPRESS – Sports
All eyes are on the Confederation of African Football after the events that witnessed the African Champions League match, which saw attacks and throwing of bottles targeting the Army players and their fans, in scenes that sparked a lot of controversy within the sports circles.
These events brought to the fore the question of the standards adopted by the continental body in dealing with such incidents, especially when it comes to matches with great sensitivity and intense public attendance. The recent memory still holds the heavy penalties imposed by CAF on the Army in a previous match against Al Ahly, when it decided to deprive them of their fans in the remaining matches of the group stage of the Champions League, a decision that many considered unfair and exaggerated to a large extent at the time. Today, after the recent events, followers are asking a legitimate question about the extent to which CAF will adhere to the same logic and the same strictness regarding the proven responsibility of Al Ahly fans for the attacks that targeted the players and fans of the Moroccan team. The real bet is not only related to a passing match, but to the image of the continental competition and the credibility of its decisions, either CAF confirms that it stands at the same distance from all clubs without exception, or it leaves the door open to accusations of favoritism and double standards. The fans will await a decision that reflects justice and harmony, because African football needs strong institutions governed by laws, not narrow calculations and the language of favoritism and double standards, the Army achieved qualification from the heart of Cairo despite the attacks and despite all circumstances, but CAF is required to achieve justice and equality and to punish the Egyptian team by depriving them of their fans with financial penalties as it had previously punished the Royal Army.
