Abdulazeez Abdulwahab
THE Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed Senegalese star, Krepin Diatta a number of penalties for accusing officials of the football governing body of corruption following his country’s ouster in the round of 16 at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
Following the loss by the Teranga Lions to the hosts and eventual winner, the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire via penalty shootouts, Krepin Diatta was quoted as saying: You’ve killed us, you’re corrupt! Keep your African Cup! You go and consult VAR to give them a penalty, but a guy (Sarr) runs 40 metres, overlaps breaks into the box and you can’t go and look at the VAR.
“I’m sorry, but it’s ridiculous. I’m really sorry, but they’ve killed our competition there.” Diatta said to CAF staff in an outburst overheard by reporters on leaving the stadium in the Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro.
Reacting to the outburst, CAF has now fined Diatta Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000.00). He will also miss the next two matches for Senegal. He will also serve a two-match suspension to be held in abeyance and four matches suspension.
The Teranga Lions kissed the continental trophy goodbye at the round of 16 no thanks to their defeat via penalty by the Elephants of Côte D’Ivoire. The Sadio Mane-led side had comfortably beaten the Gambia, Cameroon and Guinea to top Group D, and were the only section winners to progress having secured a maximum of nine points.
However, they could not re-enact that superb form when they faced the host nation who barely managed to scale the group stage hurdle having lost two of their three group matches making it to the knockout stage as one of the best losers.
Eighteen-Eleven Media