The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned the Confederation of African Football (CAF) governance commission’s decision not to allow Mamadou Antonio Souare, president of the Football Federation of Guinea to run for a position in the Confederation’s Executive Committee because of his alleged links to a betting company in his country.
The court declared Souare eligible to contest and ordered CAF to pay his legal fees.
This decision carries a lot of relevance in Sierra Leone where the main presidential challenger in the forth-coming SLFA elections Rodney Michael is facing the threat of being disqualified again on grounds of his alleged links to a local betting company. In 2013, he was disqualified on the same grounds.
In his reaction to the CAS ruling, the key football stakeholder and philanthropist said he was very happy for Souare whom he described as one of the most successful FA Presidents in Africa. According to Michael people in the continent like Souare should not under any circumstances be discouraged, having invested a fortune in the construction of a first class football academy that rivals any top- notch academy in the western world.
Responding to Politico for inferences he could draw from Souare’s absolvement to that of his situation which saw him also disqualified from vying for the SLFA presidency on similarly alleged betting claims before, Michael was quite unequivocal in maintaining his innocence.
“I have always said that in 2013 the decision to misinterpret and mis-apply the particular clause was deliberate. I’m happy that after seven years that everyone now sees my argument all those years ago and realise that it was deliberately misinterpreted and supplied because they wanted to victimise me”.
He said all his arguments over the years were legitimate and such bullying such should not be allowed to happen again because it caused a lot of havoc on Sierra Leone football.
Michael said Africa will now be under pressure following overturning by the Court of bans imposed by the continent’s confederation which will now have to pay huge sums of money as compensation to the vindicated, for legal expenses.
On the Elective Congress that has been put on hold, Michael who is contesting for the SLFA presidency acknowledged the procedures now taking place but advised that the sooner the Congress is held the better, as it will free people from frustration.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online 12/03/21
