Stakeholders Hail CAF On AFCON Date

Some football stakeholders
have commended the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for its decision to keep to the earlier dates fixed for the 2015 AFCON.
The host of the tournament, Morocco, had requested CAF to change the January 17 to February 8, 2015 period fixed for the competition.
Morocco had written to CAF asking for a shift due to the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in some African countries.
Some stakeholders, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, said that CAF had the power to determine the venue and date for any of their competitions in Africa.
Seyi Akinwumi, Chairman, Lagos State Football Association (LSFA), said that CAF, as a body, had the capacity to take decisions that were binding on the entire continent in football matters.
‘’CAF, as administrator of football in the continent, have the capacity to look at the issues before them and make proper decisions on behalf of the continent as regards football.
‘’It is something they have been doing in the past and their thoughtful decisions have given the body a good scorecard.
‘’They must have seen the advantages of the competition holding during that particular period they chose, hence the need to stand to their decision,’’ Akinwunmi said.
A former Super Eagles Coach, Adegboye Onigbinde,  told newsmen that CAF executive committee must have done some necessary investigation which informed their decision to fix the dates.
‘’CAF has earned credible applause over the years in staging successful competitions, hence their decision to go with their competition dates must have been well thought upon.
‘’They are the owners of the competition and many other football competitions in Africa; the success of the body over the years has given African football the face it enjoys globally,’’ Onigbinde said.
Ex-international, Mutiu Adepoju said that CAF must have taken cognisance of dates fixed for other football competitions.
“The decision by CAF is obviously binding on other football competitions in the year, most especially the FIFA competitions.
“Any new dates could affect CAF calendar year; that must have been the reason they stuck to the earlier dates,’’ Adepoju said.
The CAF, in a statement on Nov. 2, said it had always acted in accordance with the precautionary principle of safeguarding lives by strictly adhering to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It said it had done so since the beginning of the latest outbreak of the Ebola virus.
The CAF said it had been able to organize peacefully all competitions across the continent since April 2014 with no cases of Ebola reported in connection with the organisation of a football match.
Meanwhile, the CAF has requested the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to clarify their final position on the hosting of 2015 AFCON, not later than Nov. 8, 2014.
“This time is also applicable to all other CAF national associations wishing to organise the competition on the dates agreed as long as the hosting requirements are met,’’ CAF said in the statement.
It said that the final decision on the host would be taken at an executive committee meeting scheduled for November 11, in Cairo, Egypt.