The beautiful comeback for CAF. The governing body of African football has been closely following the organization of Euro 2024 by UEFA with keen interest, likely to take notes for the upcoming AFCON in Morocco and to highlight important aspects around major tournaments: the unpredictability of certain events.
Images of stadium staff in Dortmund braving the rain during Euro 2024 circulated internationally, amusing the CAF communications department. Summer in Germany has been absent for this Euro 2024, with organizers forced to close fan zones on Wednesday due to alarming weather forecasts.
The deluge that hit Dortmund just before the Turkey vs. Georgia match, and Leipzig during Portugal vs. Czech Republic, justified this decision. In Dortmund, staff worked hard to prevent flooding, images that made an impact worldwide. Nevertheless, the matches proceeded under normal conditions and proved to be the most thrilling of the tournament so far.
CAF took a jab at UEFA for Euro 2024. On Twitter, they posted four photos of the stadiums from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast with the caption: “Hosting major tournaments the right way.” This communication from CAF was likely aimed at responding to past critics regarding the quality of its infrastructure and the hosting of participating teams.
The 2021 edition in Cameroon was marked by controversies, notably when referee Janny Sikazwe prematurely ended the Tunisia vs. Mali match in the 86th minute. Additionally, eight people tragically lost their lives in a stampede during the round of 16 between Comoros and Cameroon at the Olembe Stadium.
Hosting big tournaments the correct way. 🤩🇨🇮#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/a4TNDPHRC7
— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 18, 2024
The darkest point of the 2021 AFCON was undoubtedly the tragedy at Olembe Stadium, where a stampede occurred during the Cameroon vs. Comoros match, resulting in a tragic loss of life. Eight people, including a six-year-old child, lost their lives, with around forty others injured.
CAF faced criticism and was under scrutiny. The COCAN president responded to the tragedy, stating, “Under pressure from crowds and overwhelmed, security personnel imprudently opened the south entrance of the stadium, resulting unfortunately in a large stampede that led to the deaths of eight compatriots.” There was also the incident during Mauritania’s first group stage match against Gambia, where they faced difficulties in playing their national anthem.
Initially, organizers played the wrong anthem for the Mourabitounes and despite attempts to rectify the error, they were unsuccessful. Veron Mosengo-Omba, CAF’s Secretary General, issued official apologies, attributing the incident to a technical problem. Furthermore, the 2021 AFCON witnessed several pitches in poor condition, with issues such as turf pieces coming loose during tackles and balls bouncing unpredictably.
The quality of the pitches was evidently problematic, leading to the last-minute replacement of the turf at Japoma Stadium just before the Ivory Coast vs. Algeria match. Consequently, CAF decided to relocate the quarterfinals and semifinals originally scheduled at Douala’s Japoma Stadium to Yaoundé, without providing specific reasons for this decision.
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