CAF’s U-17 AFCON Regulations Under Scrutiny After Ghana’s Elimination

CAF’s U-17 AFCON Regulations Under Scrutiny After Ghana’s Elimination

Sampson Adedeji 

The regulations guiding the ongoing CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations have come under criticism following the elimination of Ghana’s U-17 national team despite holding a better fair play record than their direct rivals, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Questions have been raised over the Confederation of African Football’s tiebreaking procedures after Ghana failed to progress from the competition under rules that do not recognize fair play points before the drawing of lots.

According to CAF regulations, teams level on points are separated using head-to-head points, goal difference, and goals scored before proceeding directly to the drawing of lots if parity remains.

Unlike CAF, FIFA competitions and several other international tournaments include fair play or disciplinary records as an additional tiebreaker before any random draw is conducted.

Under FIFA regulations, teams are ranked based on disciplinary points accumulated during the tournament, with yellow and red cards carrying penalties. 

A yellow card attracts minus one point, an indirect red card minus three points, a direct red card minus four points, while a yellow card followed by a direct red card results in minus five points.

Ghana reportedly had one fewer yellow card than their rivals, but the advantage carried no value under CAF’s current rules, leading to their elimination from the competition.

The development has sparked debate among football stakeholders and supporters, with many calling for CAF to align its tournament regulations with FIFA standards to ensure fairer competition outcomes.