The Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA) announced on Monday its intention to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the reinstatement of Moroccan coach Walid Regragui. This comes after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Committee overturned Regragui's four-match suspension and $5,000 fine for an altercation with DR Congo captain Chancel Mbemba at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023). Originally, FECOFA had protested Regragui's behavior, while the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) appealed the suspension. CAF subsequently canceled the sanctions, deeming Regragui's actions non-violations of fair play. FECOFA, however, considers this «unjustified», citing Regragui's «detailed confessions» and video evidence as proof of wrongdoing. «The Royal Moroccan Football Federation lodged an appeal (...) and despite the detailed confessions of the said coach, confirmed by the images which leave no shadow of doubt, the Appeal Commission, against all expectations, simply canceled the decision dated January 26, 2023», FECOFA stated in a press release. Regragui addressed the issue briefly on Monday before Morocco's AFCON round-of-16 match against South Africa. He clarified that the initial suspension stemmed from «a forced handshake» with Mbemba. While welcoming the overturned sanctions, he expressed frustration with the recurring controversies plaguing AFCON 2023 and emphasized the Moroccan team's focus on maximizing their performance on the field.
