A prominent African state official has criticised CAF over the banning of a certain stadium, while claiming that North African teams have undue influence over the football organisation.
Mozambique's Secretary of State for Sports, Carlos Gilberto Mendes, has hit out at CAF over the ban of the Zimpeto National Stadium in the country's capital, Maputo.
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CAF confirmed the venue's ban earlier this month, citing the quality of the pitch, lighting, and the lack of turnstiles as factors in their decision.
The ban came into effect on Monday, 16 December, with the local side Black Bulls now forced to play their home matches in CAF Confederation Cup games on foreign soil.
According to the Mozambican outlet Noticias, Black Bulls' fifth group game against Zamalek will now be played at the Mbombela Stadium in South Africa on 12 January 2025.
The ban on the Zimpeto National Stadium, however, has left the Secretary of State for Sports displeased.
In an interview with Radio Mozambique, Mendes stated that CAF did not conduct a proper inspection of the stadium but instead used television footage to assess the condition of the facility from a match between Black Bulls and Al Masry on 8 December.
Moreover, Mendes also accused North African teams of having undue influence over CAF's decisions.
The politician also vowed that the Zimpeto National Stadium will be ready to host matches within two weeks.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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