CAF MUST BE JOKING
We were somewhat stunned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), earlier in the week with their weird decision to extend the ban of the Somhlolo National Stadium from hosting international games.
This is weird in so many ways really. To say this is disappointing would be an understatement indeed.
This strange decision by the continental football mother body clearly leaves a lot to be desired. The implications, as rightly noted by Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga, borders on the sustainability of the local game.
In his statement, Bulunga said: “It is particularly important to highlight that the government has already addressed most of the issues that CAF had flagged during earlier inspections of the Somhlolo National Stadium. This includes the installation of a new FIFA-standard artificial turf; rehabilitation of dressing, media and medical rooms; revamping of VIP suites; installation of new floodlights; construction of a new media tribune and revamping of the Public Address (PA) system, among other things. Government has already spent over E30 million on these renovations, with at least E30 million more already set aside to continue with further rehabilitation.
“It is also worth mentioning that most of the areas of concern that the latest CAF inspection report highlights are new and, as such, will require more funds and time in order to be properly addressed. For example, the report highlights a need to ‘explore the possibility of renovating completely the players’tunnel’. Such work may require the complete demolition of huge parts of the entire main stand. The report also calls for the installation of a giant screen and ‘modern electronic access controls and automated counting systems’. This may not be immediately feasible.
“The Ministry has encouraged the EFA to appeal this decision to CAF, as its implications will be detrimental not just to national teams but also to our football clubs who have always shown a strong desire to participate in CAF inter-club competitions. The demands articulated by CAF in the latest report will require extensive work, in turn requiring millions more. Realistically, it may take years for all these demands to be met, thus condemning our national teams and clubs to hosting away from home for the foreseeable future. It is not an exaggeration to suspect that this decision may ultimately compel our clubs and national teams to stay away from international competitions due to the exorbitant. This is against the spirit of inclusion that sport should be based on.”
No one could have summed it up better.
Until next week.