The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) has petitioned the
Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) in Lausanne, for the annulment of the
decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to award the 2021
hosting rights of the African Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) to Cameroon even
though it was previously awarded to her.
The decision to cease the highest instance of football
arbitration in the world came following a meeting held on Wednesday, December
12, 2018 in Abidjan by all stakeholders of the Ivorian football, a press
release signed by the Executive Director of FIF, J-B Sam Etiasse, reads.
According
to Ivorian clubs, FIF officials and other stakeholders, the decision to award
the hosting rights of 2021 AFCON to Ivory Coast was taken unanimously on
September 20, 2014 in Addis Ababa by members of the CAF Executive Committee,
but were surprised by the unilateral decision by CAF’s President, Ahmad Ahmad
to turn around and hand the hosting rights of the same competition to Cameroon.
Sam
Etiasse said preparations and other works in relation to the 2021 competition
are going on well and involves enormous material and financial investment and
any modification of dates would entail enormous material, financial and human
consequences.
While
the case is pending at the Swiss-based court, the Ivorian Minister for Media
and Communication, who doubles as Government’s Spokesperson, Sidi TiémokoTouré,
has also announced the visit of CAF’s President, Ahmad Ahmad to the country and
said the problem of hosting rights would be top on the agenda.
Last
week, Ahmad Ahmad announced during an interview on Afrique media that the 2021
competition would be hosted by Cameroon after being stripped off 2019 hosting rights,
while Ivory Coast takes the next edition in 2023.
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