Tunisia Refuses to Apologize to CAF by Deadline
Despite the midnight deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) has firmly refused to submit an official apology. This defiance follows the controversial quarter-final loss to Equatorial Guinea in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, marred by what Tunisia described as a “scandalous” refereeing decision.
CAF had demanded a letter of apology after Tunisia accused the organization of orchestrating a biased penalty decision, which ultimately contributed to their elimination. However, during a key meeting on Wednesday, the FTF decided to stand its ground.
According to the FTF, the players’ reactions and officials’ comments were a direct result of the referee Seechurn Rajindraparsad’s controversial decisions, not a deliberate attack on CAF itself. The federation argues that it was wronged twice—first on the field, and second through CAF’s disciplinary actions.
CAF has already fined Tunisia $50,000, demanded they cover damages to the Bata Stadium, and required a formal apology for “insulting insinuations” against CAF and its officials. With no apology submitted, Tunisia now faces the threat of exclusion from the 2017 AFCON qualifiers.
The FTF appears ready to take legal action to defend its position and challenge CAF’s decisions, setting the stage for a potential showdown between the federation and African football’s governing body.
