PITROIPA CLEARED FOR AFCON FINAL

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Posted: Feb 09, 2013

Burkina Faso’s star winger Jonathan Pitroipa, who picked up a red card in Wednesday’s semi-final, is set to play in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final after all.

For Pitroipa to be able to take part the referee in Wednesday’s game had to admit he had made a mistake in booking the player for a second time for diving, something Tunisian Slim Jdidi has now done, CAf president Issa Hayatou said.

“Everyone realised that this referee did not officiate well,” Hayatou announced here on Friday.

“They’ve told me the referee has sent a letter saying he got it wrong.

“From this moment, the CAF executive committee will pass on the matter to the disciplinary commission, who will announce their decision today (Friday).

“The referee admitted his error in his report given to the (CAF) secretary general (Hicham El Amrani) — he recognised that he had got it wrong.”

Jdidi’s admission that he had erred paves the way for the red card to be rescinded and for Pitroipa to take his place in the Burkina Faso side to face Nigeria at Soccer City on Sunday.

Pitroipa produced the only goal in the 1-0 extra-time quarter-final win over Togo.

He has helped lighten the blow of the Burkinabe losing their best striker Alain Traore to injury.

Jdidi, who has been suspended for his poor performance in Wednesday’s game, sent off the Rennes forward in the 117th minute of the game that Burkina won on penalties against Ghana.

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Comments

Eze

Feb 09, 2013

CAF is a hopeless,incompetent and corrupt organisation.It has it's plan to make sure Nigeria did not make it out of the group stage,to achieve that they had to employ the service a referee that has been indicted in his home country ( Algeria) for corruption and match fixing. When that did not work on the first day of Nigeria's participation in the competition,they had to enploy a different tactic by awording a penalty against Nigeria from a contact between a Nigerian defender and a Zambian forward which occured outside of the 18 yard box."God does not like ugly "that's why he did not allow those antics to affect Nigerian spirit in the competition.They tried directly to eliminate Nigeria,it did not work so they had to try indirectly by eliminating Borkina Faso hoping that Ghana will defeat Nigeria in the Finals. It was clear to everyone,the referee included that Pitroipa was brought down in the box.The Ghana defender's Leg was way above Pitroipa's knees.There is no way the referee could not have seen that.I believe he was working on CAF's instruction to make sure Ghana met Nigeria in the Finals because of their believe that Ghana is a stronger team than Borkina Faso,also that Ghana would defeat Nigeria in the finals which was and is a fantasy and will alway remain a fantasy.The Ghana defender was supposed to get a yellow card at the least for that tackle not Pitroipa.I was surprissed he did not make the Ghana guys retake the penalties the missed in order for CAF to achieve their goal.We are not fooled by CAF so they should stop trying.Would CAF had reversed the outcome of the match had Ghana won the match duo to the blunder caused by the referee and have Borkina Faso play in the finals against Nigeria on sunday? We all know they won't.............................
Eze

Feb 09, 2013

CAF is a hopeless,incompetent and corrupt organisation.It has it's plan to make sure Nigeria did not make it out of the group stage,to achieve that they had to employ the service a referee that has been indicted in his home country ( Algeria) for corruption and match fixing. When that did not work on the first day of Nigeria's participation in the competition,they had to enploy a different tactic by awording a penalty against Nigeria from a contact between a Nigerian defender and a Zambian forward which occured outside of the 18 yard box."God does not like ugly "that's why he did not allow those antics to affect Nigerian spirit in the competition.They tried directly to eliminate Nigeria,it did not work so they had to try indirectly by eliminating Borkina Faso hoping that Ghana will defeat Nigeria in the Finals. It was clear to everyone,the referee included that Pitroipa was brought down in the box.The Ghana defender's Leg was way above Pitroipa's knees.There is no way the referee could not have seen that.I believe he was working on CAF's instruction to make sure Ghana met Nigeria in the Finals because of their believe that Ghana is a stronger team than Borkina Faso,also that Ghana would defeat Nigeria in the finals which was and is a fantasy and will alway remain a fantasy.The Ghana defender was supposed to get a yellow card at the least for that tackle not Pitroipa.I was surprissed he did not make the Ghana guys retake the penalties the missed in order for CAF to achieve their goal.We are not fooled by CAF so they should stop trying.Would CAF had reversed the outcome of the match had Ghana won the match duo to the blunder caused by the referee and have Borkina Faso play in the finals against Nigeria on sunday? We all know they won't.............................