CAF responds to Pitso’s allegations about Champions League final venue

The Confederation of African Football has responded to Pitso Mosimane’s comments about CAF president Dr. Patrice Motsepe being against him.

Mosimane said that he was shocked to learn that the CAF Champions League final was going to be hosted in Morroco, which is the home country of their opponents Wydad Casablanca.

Mosimane also mentioned another complaint that the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations and FIFA Club World Cup clashed while the dates for the World Cup were known a long time ago.

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“I believe that, if things were good, I would’ve won the third Champions League in a row. I would’ve, no doubt about it,” Mosimane told media.

“But we have personal issues and we put it in Morocco. It’s for me, I know. It’s against me, leave Al Ahly. But it’s ok, it’s football and we move on. But I say what I want to say and I say it personally, straight to the relevant person.

“When CAF and FIFA decided that I should not play with 11 players in the World Cup, when everybody knew the dates for a long time, I spoke my mind against CAF and FIFA.

“Now, I spoke my mind about CAF not giving the venue until Wydad won 3-1 against Petro and then the venue is in Morocco. I mean really, what is this? We might as well have put the venue of the UEFA Champions League final in the Santiago Bernabeu against Liverpool, put it there and then it’s simple, it’s finished.

“But these things do happen, it’s part of football, it’s part of African leadership. I’m the coach, and I have to coach a team and I have to believe we can win in Morocco and that’s the ‘neutral venue we played in.”

Luxolo September, the Head of Operations and Media Relations at CAF said the clash of AFCON and Club World Cup wasn’t the fault of Motsepe.

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“We’ve noticed the comments by the coach and there are a couple of things that are completely inaccurate,” September told iDiski Times.

“A clear issue for example is the comment made that the AFCON date was put at the same time as the FIFA Club World Cup by CAF. We all know this is absolute nonsense, because the AFCON date was set in 2019.

“The AFCON date was set in 2019. The Club World Cup date was set in November 2021, with a month or so to go to the tournament in Cameroon.

“The dates of the Club World Cup were not set by CAF. How is this president Motsepe’s fault, I don’t know? Was he expected to move 52 matches of AFCON? The dates were set even before Mr Motsepe was the president of CAF.

“It’s not CAF who decided on the date of the Club World Cup, it’s not a CAF tournament.”

September also addressed the Champions League final venue issue following Mosimane’s allegations that CAF were bias.

“The second point I want to raise is the CAF Champions League final in Casablanca. There are a lot of allegations from coach Pitso, especially against the CAF president,” he continued.

“First of all, the CAF is bound by the regulations of CAF. There was a decision made not by Patrice Motsepe but by the CAF Executive, based on a bidding process that was followed.

“By the time there was an opportunity to select the venue, only two countries were left: Senegal and Morocco. Senegal withdraw and CAF was duty-bound to select Morocco.

“You know that Al Ahly took that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and they lost, because there is no process that was not followed.

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“It was not a Motsepe decision to move the final to Casablanca, it is a CAF decision – a CAF decision which had followed all processes.

“Ok, maybe you don’t like the process. It’s ok not to like the process and I understand that the coach and other people might not like the process.

“But I think it’s unfair to personalise it. I’m just simply looking at facts and the facts are simply not supporting this idea that there is a conspiracy somewhere.”