CAN 2022: fair play, an almost illusory ideal in modern football
Moment of tension at the end of the match between Gabon and Ghana on January 14, 2022 at the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
REUTERS - THAIER AL-SUDANI
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
3 mins
The end of the match between Gabon and Ghana (1-1), Friday January 14, was marred by incidents born of a controversial action on the ground: the Panthers did not return the ball to the Blacks Stars and equalized.
Between sportsmanship and the sporting challenge, it is difficult to choose sides.
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From our special correspondent in Yaoundé,
A defeat against Morocco, a
draw conceded against Gabon
in the last minutes… This
2022 African Cup of Nations
is off to a bad start for Ghana.
Friday, at the Ahmadou-Ahidjo stadium, the Black Stars have long led to the score against the Panthers.
André Ayew opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour.
And then came the 88th minute.
The Ghanaians, who were looking to save time, released the ball in touch, the time that we treat one of their own.
When the game resumes, the rules of fair play require Gabon to give the ball back to their opponent, since the latter had it at their feet before voluntarily kicking it out.
But the Panthers kept it and attacked.
Guelor Kanga handed the ball over to Jim Allevinah, and the Clermont Foot winger scored the equalizer with a well-placed shot from the left.
► Schedule, match results and team standings
“We should have returned the ball”
Ulcerated, the Ghanaians protested.
In vain.
In the official rules, the Gabonese did not commit any fault.
Lahlou Benbraham, the Algerian referee, could only validate this goal.
At the final whistle, the tension rose another notch: scuffles between players broke out and the Ghanaian Benjamin Tetteh was sent off for hitting Aaron Boupendza.
The referee, he had to return to the locker room surrounded by the security service.
A few minutes later, Bruno Ecuele-Manga did not hide "
To be honest, we should have returned the ball
", he assumed.
“
Of course, I understand the disappointment of the Ghanaians.
I spoke a bit with André (Ayew).
I told him we should have given them the ball back.
Afterwards, it's the game
, ”continued the Gabonese captain.
Obviously, the defender is torn between the accounting result – Gabon are second in Group C with 4 points, Ghana are third with 1 point – and the way in which this draw was snatched.
"
We are really disgusted for the Ghanaians
," he even said.
The Algerian referee of the Gabon-Ghana match, Lahlou Benbraham, and his assistants are escorted by the security service to return to the locker room after the final whistle.
REUTERS - THAIER AL-SUDANI
"If you're not playing fair, why shake hands with us?"
»
If Bruno Ecuele-Manga wants to be comprehensive, the converse is also true for some Ghanaians.
Abdul-Rahman Baba does not "
blame
" the Panthers for their attitude a few seconds before the equalizer.
“
In the 90th minute, I don't think many teams would play fair.
Fair play is set aside.
It's football
," he said.
Substituted in the 65th minute, the Black Stars defender was not at the heart of the fight when it started after the game ended.
"
I think some players from Gabon wanted to shake hands with us
," he said.
And there, the question of fair play comes back on the carpet, with a clear-cut opinion: “
If you are not fair play during the match, why shake hands with us afterwards?
»
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