CAF promises to improve pitches for future competitions

Published on: 08 February 2017

The Confederation of African Football says it will take greater control over pitches at future competitions to avoid poor playing surfaces.

CAF came under huge criticisms from both coaches and players over the poor nature of pitches for the event.

Former Ghana coach Avram Grant blamed CAF with the state of the turf in Port Gentil for causing injuries to players.

“That is a lesson for us to make sure we have better control of better management in future,” Caf secretary general Hicham El Amrani told BBC Sport.

“We are taking it very seriously.

“One way to do things is to be in touch with the Local Organising Committee way in advance, even before a pitch has been laid, and to provide them with our knowledge in terms of selection of suppliers.

“Of course we would have been happier if certain things had been better managed – and I’m not going to go back on the everlasting issue of the pitch in Port-Gentil.

“But overall we are very happy with the tournament and we congratulate the host nation for their tremendous efforts.”

El Amrani says that talks have already started about preparing the pitches for the 2019 Nations Cup in Cameroon, whose team won this year’s finals.

Source:BBC

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