Chris Maduewesi
Member
Confederation of African Football(CAF) has issued a statement warning the president of UEFA, Michel Platini to stay away from interfering in its matters.
Platini questioned why CAF would continue to stage its tournaments in January/February when European leagues are still in progress.
And he also attacked CAF for insisting that 2015 African Nations Cup tournament would go on, despite the host country,Morocco requesting for it to be delayed over fears of Ebola outbreak on the continent.
CAF in a statement on it website countered the views of Platini, adding that he shouldn't decide for them on what they want to do.
"The issue has been debated and has been in the public domain the last few days following a request for postponement by the Kingdom of Morocco due to the Ebola outbreak."
"On this issue, many speakers, including Mr Platini, have been making reference to the World Health Organization (WHO) to justify their support for a deferral of the championship.
"This is without any reference to a single recommendation of that organization that the postponement of any sporting event on the African continent or outside, in other countries where cases are reported, with which the CAF has been in constant contact since the beginning of the epidemic on the continent.
"Apart from the three countries heavily affected by the epidemic namely; Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the WHO has clearly indicated to CAF on the need to avoid huge gatherings, that measure for now only applies to no other country on the continent.
"But we must beware of what appears in every way as interference by a president of a Confederation, in cases involving first and foremost Africa and CAF.
"Under the principle of non-interference required to comply, CAF has refrained so far to comment on some issues on the managing of European football or any other continent.
"Despite the risks involved in armed conflict in Ukraine, a country where a civilian plane was shot down killing nearly 300 people, UEFA did not consider it necessary to exclude Ukrainian clubs from its competitions as a security parameter by hosting games outside this nation, as treacherously raised once it is about Africa.
Platini questioned why CAF would continue to stage its tournaments in January/February when European leagues are still in progress.
And he also attacked CAF for insisting that 2015 African Nations Cup tournament would go on, despite the host country,Morocco requesting for it to be delayed over fears of Ebola outbreak on the continent.
CAF in a statement on it website countered the views of Platini, adding that he shouldn't decide for them on what they want to do.
"The issue has been debated and has been in the public domain the last few days following a request for postponement by the Kingdom of Morocco due to the Ebola outbreak."
"On this issue, many speakers, including Mr Platini, have been making reference to the World Health Organization (WHO) to justify their support for a deferral of the championship.
"This is without any reference to a single recommendation of that organization that the postponement of any sporting event on the African continent or outside, in other countries where cases are reported, with which the CAF has been in constant contact since the beginning of the epidemic on the continent.
"Apart from the three countries heavily affected by the epidemic namely; Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, where the WHO has clearly indicated to CAF on the need to avoid huge gatherings, that measure for now only applies to no other country on the continent.
"But we must beware of what appears in every way as interference by a president of a Confederation, in cases involving first and foremost Africa and CAF.
"Under the principle of non-interference required to comply, CAF has refrained so far to comment on some issues on the managing of European football or any other continent.
"Despite the risks involved in armed conflict in Ukraine, a country where a civilian plane was shot down killing nearly 300 people, UEFA did not consider it necessary to exclude Ukrainian clubs from its competitions as a security parameter by hosting games outside this nation, as treacherously raised once it is about Africa.