By Sulayman Bah
Mali’s government has turned down Liberia Football Association’s
request for Barrack Young Controllers (BYC) to host Gambia’s champions
there, Foroyaa Sport can report.
Bamako was chosen as proposed neutral ground for BYC to play Real de
Banjul in the second-leg after Confederation of African Footballbanned the Liberian side from playing in Monrovia amid ebola fears.
Mali was later identified as ideal venue for the second-leg after
Ghana and Ivory Coast -neighbours to Liberia -refused to be used as
alternatives venues.
However, for the match to be staged in Mali it will require government
approval, a thing the current Bamako leadership refused to entertain
reportedly for concerns over ebola recurrence after cases were
uncovered there in the past months.
The Liberian FA had earlier written to their Malian counterparts who
are reported to have agreed but for government’s disapproval.
News of the cancellation comes just after Real De Banjul began its
journey for the second-leg and has since voiced its disappointment
over the matters.
Announcing the cancelation of the proposed match to the Gambia
Football Federation yesterday said: ‘The Gambia Football Federation
(GFF) regrets to announce that its representatives in the CAF
Champions League preliminary qualifiers Real De Banjul FC will no
longer travel to Bamako for the fixture against BYC in the second leg
of the CAF Champions League Qualifying series.
This development was communicated by the Confederation of African
Football (CAF) that match Number 40: Barrack Young Controllers
(Liberia) VS Real De Banjul (Gambia) will no longer take place in
Bamako, Mali due to the refusal of Mali to host the said match.
CAF has therefore called off the Bamako venue and is still awaiting
the decision from the Liberia Football Association regarding the
de-localisation of the said match before the schedule date.
The GFF joins Real De Banjul FC to express regret for any
inconvenience this change of plan might have caused.
The matter is now left for CAF to decide.]]>
