Abedi Slams CAF

Ghana’s soccer maestro, Abedi Ayew Pele says the Confederation of African Football will manipulate the new system of deciding Africa’s five representatives for the world cup to suit it’s friends. CAF decided early this year to use the 2006 African Nations Cup as the qualifier for the world cup later that same year.

CAF decided that the four semi finalist at the competition to be hosted by Egypt would go on to represent the continent at the world cup in Germany. The confederation is however grappling with modalities for the selection of the fifth candidate. The Ghanaian legend has serious doubts about CAF’s sincerity in that selection.

Abedi believes that the power brokers in CAF have already decided the choice of the continent’s fifth representative for the 2006 World Cup finals and though he remains inexplicit about it, hints at the strong influence wielded by the French block.

“I tell you everything CAF does is intended to please someone. The committee that CAF claims to have set up to strike out the modalities is just a fa?ade”.

Abedi says the system would cost many national federations revenue from television and advertisers because of the reduction in the number of games they play. Abedi however says he would not hesitate to give the system his full backing if there is any indication that Ghana could use it as a platform to stage its first appearance at the world’s most prestigious soccer fiesta in 2006.

“If this system would enable Ghana to qualify for the world cup then I would be glad. We traditionally do well at the Nations Cup and this could be our chance to make it to the big stage finally”.

Abedi and CAF have not been good friends lately. He was recently removed from a special committee of retired players on CAF after supporting FIFA president Sepp Blatter in his battle for re-election against CAF boss Issa Hayatou. Abedi has even been mentioned as a potential challenger to Hayatou in the 2004 CAF elections in Tunisia