By Andrew Warshaw
December 23 – Morocco’s refusal to stage next month’s Africa Cup of Nations is understood to have been behind Africa’s most prominent FIFA officials embarrassingly snubbing last Saturday’s Club World Cup final in Marrakesh. Several African members of FIFA’s executive committee were conspicuous by their absence at FIFA’s showpiece climax between Real Madrid and San Lorenzo.
Last month, Equatorial Guinea was drafted in at the last moment to replace Morocco as hosts of next month’s Nations Cup after the Confederation of African football refused to accept Morocco’s call for a delay or postponement amid fears of the deadly Ebola virus infiltrating the country.
In retaliation, Morocco was banned from the next two competitions by CAF yet remained as hosts of FIFA’s much-trumpeted Club World Cup that featured the winners of each Continent’s main club competition.
While the volume of travel into the country among fans last week dwarfed what would have been the case had they hosted next month’s 16-nation Nations Cup, Morocco still saw fit not to cancel the smaller FIFA event.
Insideworldfootball has learned that seats put aside for Africa’s FIFA exco members on Saturday were not taken up and that, during previous matches at the tournament, local fans had booed CAF president Issa Hayatou.
“Perhaps the fans were not happy with the decision taken by Mr Hayatou,” said Moroccan FA general secretary Tariq Najem. “Quite frankly we’re not happy either because we had prepared everything.”
Asked why African FIFA exco seats were left empty at the final, Najem replied: “It was political but I can’t say any more. I can’t speak to the media on this subject.”
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