By Paul Nicholson
November 18 – The Club World Cup scheduled for Marrakech and Agadir 11-21 December will not be disrupted by an FIFA Emergency Committee ruling that the governing body will not recognise the elections that were held by the Moroccan Football Association (FRMF) on 10 November 2013.
The Moroccan elections were a bad tempered affair with the presidential candidates and their supporters bitter in their opposition and allegations of wrong-doing.
Fouzi Lekjaa was elected as the new president of the FRMF, coming from a government background. Lekjaa is Director of Budget at the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He is also president of the RS Berkane club that recently gained promotion from the second to the first division in Morocco.
His presidential platform was based on securing investment of at least 600 million dirhams ($72,000) in football, in order to achieve “true professionalism”. This money was expected to come from government though his financial credentials were doubted by some who pointed to complaints from his team’s players about non-payment and late payment of wages. There were also allegations of bribery around his club’s rise to the top league.
With Lekjaa removed before he has begun (this time at least), previous FRMF president Ali Fassi Fihri, who had also headed up the previous executive committee, stays in charge for December’s Club World Cup.
Fihri, who had been president for just one term, did not stand for re-election but will now remain in charge until the new elections in the New Year.
Similarly, the out-going Executive Committee will remain in charge of running the FRMF until the new elections are held.
The world governing body accused the FRMF of failing to adopt the correct statutes before organising the election.
According to a FIFA spokesperson: “FRMF did not fulfill its duty to comply with FIFA directives (article 13, par. 1 a) of the FIFA Statutes). Furthermore, we can confirm that FIFA asked in due time for the postponement of the FRMF general assembly and reminded its authorities that according to articles 13, par. 1 i and 17, par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, “each Member shall manage its affairs independently and with no influence from third parties”.
FIFA has again asked the FRMF to adopt statutes in conformity with the FIFA Standard Statutes, this time before organising new elections in the first half of 2014.
Morocco will be the first African nation to host the FIFA Club World Cup. The country had bid, unsuccessfully, in the past to host the FIFA World Cup. Morocco will host the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2015.
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