Former Kenyan coach Amrouche appeals to Court of Arbitration for Sports over six-match ban

Former Kenyan coach Adel Amrouche during their Cup of Nation Qualifier match against Comoros at Nyayo stadium, Nairobi on 18-05-2015.PHOTO/DENNIS OKEYO

Former Kenyan coach Adel Amrouche has contested a six-match ban slapped on him by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) last month.

Amrouche has taken his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) who have given CAF 20 days to respond.

According to people close to Amrouche, he is contesting his suspension on the premise that CAF changed the initial charges where he was accused of spitting on a match official to unbecoming conduct without informing him.

"Once CAF had proved that the charge of spitting at a match official was not true, they should have acquitted him on the spot. It is unfair for them to have brought another charge against him without informing him in advance," said our source.

A top FKF official who did not want to be named also confirmed that CAF had informed them about the appeal by Amrouche.

"CAF has received the summons from CAS and have not taken it kindly," said the FKF official.

Last month, CAF reduced an initial one-year suspension it had slapped on Amrouche to six matches.

In reducing the suspension, CAF Appeals Board said it had considered the match officials' report, Amrouche's testimony and reviewed new evidence including a DVD of the Kenya-Comoros game.

The board also considered the https://cdn.standardmedia.co.ke/images provided by the appellant and the testimony of the Comoros coach who was a "direct eyewitness" of the altercation and concluded that there was "no certainty as to the facts alleged against the appellant".

It, however, added:"...based on the DVD, the Appeal Board found that the behaviour of the Kenyan coach throughout the match was not blameless. He repeatedly engaged in disrespectful attitudes against the central referee and the fourth referee, especially following his ejection.

"For these and other reasons in the decision, the Board of Appeal acknowledged that Adel Amrouche was responsible for having violated sections 82, 83 of the Caf Disciplinary Code (CDC) relating respectively to the principle of conduct (82) and responsibility (83).

"The Board of Appeal Caf under the provisions of Articles 31, 32, 33, 82, 83, 88, 117 and 129 of the CDC and Article 36 of the Regulations of the African Cup of Nations' sanctioned Adel Amrouche with a suspension of six (6) matches for anti-sporting behaviour effective 30 May, 2014."

Amrouche was also fined Sh870,000 and asked to pay expenses relating to the proceedings before the Appeals Board. Football Kenya Federation has since appointed Bobby Williamson to take over at Stars.


 

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