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RUMBLE CONTINUES IN CAF AS VICE PRESIDENT IS SUSPENDED

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The big axe may have fallen on one of the highly influential members of the CAF executive committee, Fouzi Lekjaa of Morocco. He is the 3rd Vice President and one of those that brought the dramatic change in the CAF leadership two years ago.

He is reportedly handed a one year-suspension. Although CAF has not officially announced the suspension, the online platforms, including that of Lekjaa’s home country, Morocco World News, have been trending with the news.

Lekjaa doubles as President of the Royal Football Federation of Morocco. He was reportedly axed for attacking an Ethiopian referee, Bamalek Tessema after Morocco’s RS Berkane lost 1-0 to Zamalek of Egypt on May 26.

The Ethiopian Football Federation to CAF reportedly lodged a formal complaint.

According to Morocco World News, Neither CAF nor the Moroccan Football governing body have confirmed the rumors of Lekjaa’s suspension.

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Moroccan sports outlet Al Mountakhab reported that a South African member of the disciplinary committee of CAF is leading a “ hidden lobbying war” against Lekjaa. The news outlet added that the CAF member supports Lekjaa’s potential yea-long suspension.

Al Mountakhab said that Ahmad Ahmad, President of CAF was not aware of the decision to suspend the FRMF president.  The sports platform also added that Ahmad has warned against such a move.

On June 5, the EFE released a statement claiming: “After the game, during the medal ceremony, the third deputy president of CAF, president of Morocco Football Association and honorable president of RS Berkane FC, MR Fawzy Lkeia ,[sic] beat n MS Bamalek Tessema with head butt with aggressive and forceful manner.”

The EFE also accused of RS Berkane of harassing the referee.

“After players saw MR Fawzy Lekia [sic] in action they started to harass and kick him fortunately he was saved by securities.”

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Following the game, Lekjaa strongly condemned the referee’s judgement during the match.

FRMF addressed a letter to CAF describing the referee’s performance as “scandalous” and “shameful.”

According to FRMF, the game between the two sides was fraught with “bad interpretation and application of the rules.” In addition to controversially favoring the Egyptian side in the course of the game, the letter suggested that the referee “shamefully” ignored a rule that cost Berkane the penalty shootout.

FRMF argued that the Ethiopian referee of the match “allowed a player who should have been sent off to continue to play and influence the outcome of the match.”

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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