[ 2015-02-04 ]

AFCON 2015: Errant Nations Cup referee gets six-month ban
The referee at the centre of the controversial
penalty decision that helped hosts Equatorial
Guinea to reach the Nations Cup semi-finals has
been banned for six months, CAF said in a
statement on Tuesday.

Rajindraparsad Seechurn of Mauritius has also been
excluded from the list of top African officials,
effectively ending his international career, the
Confederation of African Football added.

The Tunisian team, some of whom attempted to
attack the referee after Saturday's 2-1
quarter-final loss after the extra time in Bata,
were handed a US$ 50,000 fine but no individual
sanctions were announced.

Opponents Equatorial Guinea were also sanctioned
for poor security at the match.
CAF's REPORT:

At its extraordinary meeting held at the CAF
headquarters In Bata, Equatorial Guinea on the
2ndFebruary, 2015, the CAF Referees Committee
reviewed the performance of the referee Seechurn
Rajindrapasard (Mauritius) during Match No. 26,
Tunisia vs. Equatorial Guinea played on 31 January
2015 in Bata in the final tournament of the 2015
Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The Referees Committee noted with regret the poor
performance of the referee during the match,
including an unacceptable failure to maintain calm
and ensure proper control of the players during
the match.

Hence the Referees Committee decided:
- To end the mission of Seechurn Rajindrapasard as
a referee for the Orange AFCON 2015
- To suspend him for a period of six (6) months
for poor performance
- To delist him from the CAF “A” Elite
Referees panel.

_ _ _ _ _


At its meeting at CAF Headquarters in Bata,
Equatorial Guinea, on the 3rd February 2015, the
Disciplinary Board considered all the incidents
and reports of the various officials relating to
the match no. 26 Tunisia vs. Equatorial Guinea
played on 31 January 2015.

The incidents noted in the meeting, included a
pitch invasion by fans, the aggressive attitude of
some supporters in the stands, invading of the
pitch after the final whistle by players and
substitutes of the Tunisian team - insulting the
referee of the match and trying to physically
assault him - the regrettable behavior of the
president of the Tunisian Football Federation
(FTF), Mr. Wadie Jary, entering the field of play
and strongly criticizing the referee and CAF; and
vandalism by some Tunisian players which included
breaking of a door in the locker room area and a
fridge.

The disciplinary board also studied two letters
sent by the Tunisian Federation dated the
2ndFebruary 2015; the first letter concerning the
explanation of the FTF in connection with the
above incidents, the second correspondence
requesting an investigation.

The second letter clearly suggested that CAF and
its officials were questionable and biased against
Tunisia in general and that CAF, its officials and
committees were devoid of sporting ethics, causing
in a premeditated manner the elimination of
Tunisia from the Orange AFCON 2015.

The following decisions were taken against the
respective parties, Tunisia and Equatorial
Guinea:

Tunisian Football Federation
Based on Articles 82, 83, 125 and 133 of the
Disciplinary Code of CAF, the Disciplinary Jury of
CAF:

- Asked the Equatorial Guinean party to estimate
the cost of repairing the damage caused by the
Tunisian party at the stadium in Bata and CAF will
provide this amount to the Tunisian Federation to
cover it.

- Condemned the conduct of Mr. Wadie Jary,
president of the Tunisian Football Federation and
member of the Organising Committee of the AFCON.

- Imposed on the Tunisian Federation a fine of US$
50,000 (Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) for
the insolent, aggressive and unacceptable behavior
of the players and officials of the Tunisian team
during the aforementioned game.

- Instructed the Tunisian Federation to send to
CAF before February 5th at midnight, a letter of
apology for the insinuations of bias and lack of
ethics against CAF and its officials, or to
present irrefutable evidence to substantiate the
accusations of the FTF.

Should the Federation not send this letter of
apology or required evidence before the stated
deadline, the disciplinary panel would suggest to
the Executive Committee of CAF additional
sanctions, including the possibility not to accept
the participation of the national team of Tunisia
in the next edition of Cup of Nations, AFCON,
2017.

Equatorial Guinean Football Federation
Considering the pitch invasion by some
Equatoguinean fans and the lack of security
measures observed, and based on Article 151 para 2
of the CAF Disciplinary Code, the Disciplinary
Jury of CAF imposed a financial penalty of
US$5,000 (Five Thousand US Dollars) on FEGUIFUT,
and asked them to ensure that all security
arrangements are taken to ensure the smooth
running of the matches of the semifinals and
finals of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations in
2015
-

Source - CAF

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