Rabat- Members of the Moroccan delegation that went to Switzerland to plead its case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) were surprised by the presence of Hicham Amrani, the Secretary General of the African Football Federation (CAF), a Moroccan, who defended the position CAF’s imposition of sanctions against Morocco.
The Federation banned the North African country from participating in the 2017 and 2019 tournaments of the African Cup of Nations.
According to the Moroccan daily Al Massae in its Wednesday issue, the first session of arbitration lasted more than six hours. The same source added that the hearing was marked by tension because of the presence of a Moroccan who had been tasked by CAF to plead against his home country.
Faouzi Lakjaa, the President of the Moroccan football federation, was reportedly “irritated” by the presence of Hicham Amrani, who spared no effort to defend his employer in opposition to his country.
The Moroccan daily Assabah quoted a source from the FRMF, who lashed out at Hicham Amrani and expressed its disappointment in seeing him pleading against his own country without taking in consideration the feelings of his fellow citizens.
“Instead of coming here to defend Hayatou’s allegation, Amrani should not have come to the meeting and avoid upsetting his fellow Moroccans,” a representative from the Moroccan FRMF was quoted by Assabah as saying.
Last month, CAF’s Executive Committee decided to ban Morocco from participating in continental tournaments for the next four years. Morocco was also fined $1 million and will have to pay an additional $9 million in compensation following its decision to postpone the 2015 Afcon over fears of the Ebola virus.
Morocco decided to appeal the decision, which it considers “unfair.”
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