WELL SAID, ECOWAS (FEB 20, 2010)

A LOT has already been said about the decision of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to suspend and fine Togo for pulling out of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2010 staged in Angola last month.
The decision — a ban from two CAN tournaments and a fine of $50,000 imposed on the Togo national team — has already received widespread condemnation from varied groups and individuals as an insensitive action on the part of CAF.
However, the show of support and solidarity by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at its 37th Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, earlier in the week should reassure the people of Togo that they have not been left on their own to seek redress.
Last week, Togo lodged an appeal against CAF at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and yesterday the Switzerland-based arbitration group dismissed an initial case that Togo be included in the draw for the CAN 2012 qualifiers to be held in Lubumbashi, Congo, today.
The CAS, however, said the substantive case would be heard in August and, should Togo win that case, it will be given the opportunity to be part of the qualifiers.
Unless steps are taken immediately to resolve this issue, it will be a dangerous rift. This is why the Daily Graphic lauds ECOWAS for its decision to mediate to resolve the impasse.
Indeed, this is not the time to go into the merits and demerits of the pull-out by Togo and the reaction from CAF, but suffice it to say that the unfortunate rebel attack on the Togolese team in the Cabinda District just a day to the start of the tournament left three people — an Angolan driver and two Togolese officials — dead.
At the moment, a fourth person, the second goalkeeper who survived bullet wounds, is still in a South African hospital recuperating.
Under the circumstances, and given the harrowing ordeal, anybody would have done what the Togolese did — withdraw from the tournament.
Instead of showing concern and commiserating with the Togolese about their tragic loss, the CAF Executive Committee decided to enforce a law that seeks to punish a team that pulls out of a CAF-organised competition.
Does the rule not give reprieve for those who, through no fault of theirs, cannot honour a match? In this case, was Togo’s case not a force majeur?
CAF frowns on political interference and, indeed, it cited the decision by the Togolese government to withdraw the team from the competition as the main reason such a harsh punitive measure was taken. But the Daily Graphic dares to ask: Has CAF itself not been political about this decision?
The decision remains mind-boggling, as it is not clear whether CAF rates the CAN way above the human lives that were lost.
That is why we cannot but side with ECOWAS when its outgoing President, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, stated in his address that “in the face of the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained in the terrorist attack against the team, we are at a loss to understand the suspension of Togo from CAF for the next four years”.
While commending ECOWAS for its efforts to amicably resolve the matter, the Daily Graphic also urges CAF to soften its stance.
It must not be seen as being insensitive and we join ECOWAS in asking the continental football governing body to “show compassion and review and rescind its decision to suspend Togo” for the sake of the game.