The confederation of African Football (CAF) is supposed to be a detribalized, impartial, fair and just umbrella body of football administration in Africa. Unfortunately recent developments in the continent have shown that the body that is supposed to treat everyone equally is actually bias when it comes to certain players and certain football federations.

To start with, Nigeria’s Samuel Okwaraji died at the national stadium in Lagos on the 12th of August 1989 while playing in the CAF/FIFA organized world cup qualifying match between Nigeria and Angola, and that was the last thing that was ever heard about this young promising player who had earlier dazzled the whole of the African fans with his soccer artistry at the 1988 Cup of nations Tournament in Morocco. CAF did nothing to immortalize this player neither did it do anything to help his family. Reason he died unsung was because he was a Nigerian. Alhaji Issa Hayatou never saw any reason why a Nigerian player should be honoured in death.

But Marc-Vivien Foe of Cameroon died on the 26th of June 2003 in their match against Columbia while representing his country at the confederations cup in France+ and guess what, CAF immediately announced that it would sponsor Vivien Foe’s children’s education up to the university level apart from paying certain compensation to his family. Vivien Foe died doing exactly the same thing Sam Okwaraji died for – playing in a CAF/FIFA organized competition. Foe’s family got compensated and his children awarded scholarships. The only thing that separated the two heroes was their country of origin; Vivien Foe was from CAF’s President Alhaji Issa Hayatou’s country while Okwaraji was not.

On the 8th of January 2010, while the Togolese national team were on their way to participate in the 2010 CAF Orange Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Angola they were attacked by rebels at Cabinda which left 2 members of the crew dead and some players injured including the goal keeper who was badly injured and was flown to South Africa for surgery, and he spent weeks there recovering. Recently however, the French football federation came to the rescue of the young man by paying his hospital bill and his repatriation money to enable him return to France for rehabilitation, all because CAF refused to live up to expectation. Angola which hosted the tournament and whose rebels shot the player also refused to act until a country from a different continent and from a different confederation decided to save his career.

The question I would love CAF to answer is ‘if the goal keeper were to be a Cameroonian would he be abandoned by CAF’? if Togo were to be Cameroon would they be hastily banned from the next two editions of the tournament for pulling out after it was obvious they were not in the right frame of mind to continue with the tournament in Angola? What made Marc Vivien Foe’s case so distinct, so emotional and so meritorious as to deserve such a royal treat?

CAF and Issa Hayatou should remember that ‘what is good for the goose is good for the gander’ and treat everyone the same way before they break the confederation into factions that would tear the game of football in Africa apart.

About the Author:
Joseph Ezie Efoghor is a registered Nurse with years of practical experience. For more of his articles visit http://efoghorsportsarena.blogspot.com.