CAF executive committee member Amos Adamu told a press conference in Accra Amos Adamou insisted CAF had acted to protect the image and interest of African football.

Togo were banned from two Nations Cups after their withdrew from the 2010 tournament following the death of their bus driver and media officer as they crossed from Congo into Angola.

The decision has been roundly condemned as insensitive but Adamu who says he was speaking on behalf of CAF as an executive member will have none of that.

“Rules must be obeyed and CAF has a responsibility so we had to take that decision to save African football. CAF president Issah Hayatou and executive members are responsible people who will protect the image and interest of African football. Football will not be run on sentiments,” he said.

Adamu's defence of the sanctions came barely twenty four hours after Ghana president John Atta Mills had appealed in person to CAF boss Issa Hayatou for the ban to be lifted during a meeting between in Accra.

Adamu claims Togo must take the blame for the incident which marred the Nations Cup and insist the two people who died were not on the official list that the Togolese sent to CAF prior to the tournament.

He went on to cite the example of Benin who played in the 2005 Africa Youth championships after their goalkeeper had been assassinated in the middle of the competition and the recent Winter Olympics when Georgia went ahead to compete decide losing a member of their delegation in training.

But the defence mounted by Adamu is only likely to entrench CAF's image as an insensitive body.

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goodman:2010-03-11 18:58

Hey kick off l do not like these pictures of article on you mobi where you zoom in on faces please go back to old ones for example baggy eyes of lssa Hayatou, its horrifying. What do readers think.

Frans:2010-03-12 10:50

The less said about Issa Hayatou the better. PLEASE!
One more thing, it;s only in Africa where football chiefs are richer than the footballers. And they still have the audacity to call the players unpatriotic when they are reluctant to play in the AFCON? IDIOTS!