Morocco ‘rejects’ Nations Cup ban, fine

Moroccan authorities have accused the Confederation of African Football (CAF) of being against the development of the game on the continent and will contest sanctions placed on them for their decision not to host this year’s African Nations Cup.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said that a steering committee had found no grounds for the country to be banned from the next two continental championships, nor for the financial penalties imposed on them.

“The steering committee has expressed great surprise at the decisions by CAF, and asserts that they in no way reflect the findings of the prior meeting in Cairo with the president of CAF (Issa Hayatou),” it said in a statement.

“The management committee of the FRMF rejects all these sporting and financial sanctions and considers that the decisions taken by the executive committee of CAF are against the development of African football, and not based on any statutory basis.”

The FRMF went on to say it would “take all necessary steps and measures to uphold the rights and interests of Moroccan football”.

Morocco withdrew from hosting the 2015 finals over fears of the spread of the Ebola virus.

Aside from the tournament ban, the FRMF was fined $1 million and ordered to pay 8 million euros ($9.1 million) in damages to CAF and its partners.

CAF’s executive committee found the Moroccan federation to be financially liable. Morocco had asked for the tournament to be postponed by a year to allow the Ebola outbreak in west Africa to be contained.

The north African country was officially stripped of hosting rights by CAF in November and the tournament was switched to Equatorial Guinea, where Ivory Coast claimed the title on Sunday.