Cape Town – The Disciplinary Board of CAF (Confederation of African Football) have come down hard on Roger da Sa for showing the opposition camp the middle finger during a fracas at the end of the Afcon match between Egypt vs Morocco on Sunday.
Egypt ended 2-1 winners after extra-time against Morocco in an ill-tempered Afcon quarter-final clash at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé, Cameroon. After the referee blew the final whistle, a post-match fracas followed between players and officials from the two North African countries who live and breathe football.
It was the second time in the match that the players had squared up to each other. Around the 70th minute in the second half. when scores were level at 1-all, Egypt striker Mostafa Mohamed fouled Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi.
Some heavy-handed intervention by Senegal referee Maguette Ndiaye helped to stop the brawl. Ndiaye, who famously awarded Ghana a dubious penalty against South Africa in a World Cup qualifier three months ago, shoved a Moroccan player in the face, and the player dramatically crashed to the ground.
Ndiaye was roundly condemned on social media for his harsh action, and cynics said he should red-card himself.
After Egypt snatched the extra-time winner, the players came to blows after the final whistle. Match officials and the management of the two teams tried to halt the free-for-all. At the same time, the managements verbally abused each other.
The sharp-witted Da Sa, who once famously outsmarted Benni McCarthy in a touchline spat, went one better. He showed the opposition camp an 'obscene gesture' according to CAF's charge sheet.
There were dramatic consequences for Da Sa when CAF's Disciplinary Board, headed by Raymond Hack, decided to take action against the two belligerent teams.
Hack, South Africa's leading legal sports administrator for many years, was not lenient on fellow South African Da Sa.
Da Sa and Hack know each other well because of their association at Wits when one served as a coach and the other as the chairman.
Da Sa has been suspended for four matches and that means he will no longer be with Egypt's team on the touchlines for the rest of the tournament. Egypt play Cameroon on Thursday in a semi-final. The loser will play in the third-fourth place play-off.
Egypt also have two World Cup qualifiers next month. Da Sa cannot join the technical staff in the dug-outs for the two legs.
The CAF statement in part reads: 'The CAF Disciplinary Board met on the post-match incident that occurred at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium during the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations fixtures: Egypt vs Morocco and Senegal vs Equatorial Guinea.
'The Disciplinary Board charged Egypt and Morocco players and officials with misconduct and bringing the game into disrepute.
'The officials of the above-mentioned match indicated in their reports that at the end of the match, there were altercations between Egypt assistant coach Rogerio Paulo Dos Santos Cesar De Sa and the President of the Moroccan FA Mr Fouzi Lekjaa.
'A general fight followed in which Morocco player Sofian Boufal and Egypt player Marwan Mostafa Daoud were identified.
'The CAF Disciplinary Board decided to suspend Egypt player, Marwan Mohamed Moustafa Dawoud for two matches, namely, match No 50 (semi-final) and match No 52 (final) or match No 51 (3rd Place match) for his violent conduct, and to impose a fine of $5 000 upon Egyptian Federation.
'To suspend Egypt assistant coach, Mr Rogerio Paulo Dos Santos Cesar De Sa for four matches; namely, match No 50 (semi-final) and match No 52 (final) or match No 51 (3rd place match) in addition to his next two matches with his national team, for using an obscene gesture, and to impose a fine of $10 000 on Egyptian Federation.
'To impose a fine of $10 000 on Egyptian Federation for the unidentified aggressors of the above-mentioned incident.
'To address a warning to Egypt coach, Carlos Queiroz by bringing the game into disrepute virtue of bench behaviour.'
IOL Sport