AfricaPress-Tanzania: PUNDITS were at odds of what to make of a directive by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that the next games of the Champions League involving Simba Sports Club as well as Namungo FC must be played without
The decision followed ardent complaints by Egyptian and Sudanese champion sides both of which were put on a nail when they played the Msimbazi Street outfit before their fans at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
These complaints were earlier being put aside and all of a sudden they appear to have led to a decision, either as fulfilling a long cry, or as an outright favor.
Some pundits have suggested that the complaints were taken too seriously because they involved a dejected the Al Ahly FC of Egypt, given that Cairo is the permanent seat of CAF, and the club has a majestic track record in African football.
It is unclear if such a decision would have come about if only El Merreikh of the Sudan would have complained, or Congolese club AS Vita but it is undeniable that such voices are hugely boosted when the matter has the backing of the Egyptian powerhouse outfit.
That comes down to something like a favor, that CAF could scarcely have ignored Al Ahly; could they?
Strictly speaking the decision makes little difference for those who failed to tame the city giants on their own turf at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and before their energetic fans doing all the shouting they can.
At first it appeared odd that coach Pitso Mosimane complained that the visitors played in unexpected and difficult circumstances, citing the large crowd that had gathered at the stadium.
Many of us thought that the presence of spectators, and indeed their shouting was entirely normal, and that it was up to national authorities to decide if the health situation in the country warrants allowing spectators, or they stay away.
Basically that is what should have been the case – that admission of fans is a national issue in the sense of health situation, whether it allows for the filling of stadiums or it doesn’t.
Why CAF failed to stick to that principle is what brought out sheer disbelief, when the presence of fans becomes a matter of fair play – that countries with intense COVID-19 outbreak can’t allow fans to enter a stadium as this will be what United States television calls a ‘super-spreader’ event, so everyone should remove them! Strict fairness.
Now that countries in Europe and elsewhere have a uniform exclusion of spectators, no comparisons can be made with regard to how the principle of national decision of conditions for allowing the presence of fans can be made, as the matter has never come up in the UEFA Champions League for that matter.
Still a principle ought to stand on its own, and the idea that when one side has fans and the opposing team can’t have fans of its own in the return match is unfair play is to say the least curious.
It is a situation where the principle that is being upheld is fair play in all circumstances, not COVID-19 restrictions, to stem disease.
Local commentators weren’t apparently in the mood to actually discuss the matter in those parameters, more or less appearing to express regret that the directive had been issued, and in a sense they seemed to show a weakness as to why it may not be right for the decision to be taken in that manner.
Again they appeared to look at the presence of the fans in a strategic context – that their presence helps the coach to boost the morale of players, or register disquiet when a player has plainly not done the right thing, let down the team as it were.
At times this can be excessive as ex-Yanga coach made it plain and clear that the fans have the duty of supporting the players, not criticizing them, spreading discomfort.
In that sense this admission tacitly conveys the message that CAF is finally right, as we need the fans to boost the morale of our players, and thus we stand to win if we have fans and they don’t.
Someone said in a radio show that ‘this cup is Simba SC’s to win this year, or never,’ for no apparent reason. Fact is, as far as most of us know, the Msimbazi Stret side is in the course of being remolded into an international outfit.
Why then did it stand the best chance of winning the Champions League tournament this year or it will never do so again in future – at least in the reckoning of a fairly youthful soccer pundit on radio show?
Evidently some quarters were beginning to relish in the fact that other sides have no fans allowed and local sides –Simba and Namungo FC– are backed by the fans, and they love that.
The CAF stick was thus timely, as it is ethically inappropriate to relish misfortunes of others as they stand to boost one’s fortunes.
the stands being open to the fans.
