Zambia coach Herve Renard was
fined $10 000 and warned by
the Confederation of African
Football on Friday after he
claimed that the ruling body was
happy his team was eliminated from the African Cup of Nations
because it was "not sexy
enough" to win. CAF said the fine was suspended
and would be lifted "provided no
repetition of such behavior occur
(s) within the coming year." Defending champions Zambia
were knocked out in the group
stage with a 0-0 draw with
Burkina Faso, prompting
Frenchman Renard to say CAF
didn't want his team to win again and represent Africa at the
Confederations Cup in Brazil. "To be honest with you I think
that CAF is very happy because
Zambia is not going to play the
Confederations Cup," Renard said
in Nelspruit on January 29 after
his team's elimination. "Because (they think) Zambia is not sexy
enough to go to the
Confederations ... it's the truth." CAF said it had accepted letters
of apology from Renard and the
Football Association of Zambia,
but still issued the warning and
suspended fine "in order to
ensure the non-repetition of such behavior which tarnishes
the image of CAF and its
officials." Zambia, the 2012 champions,
missed out on the chance to play
at the World Cup warm-up
Confederations Cup because CAF
moved the Cup of Nations to odd
years and played it back to back in 2012 and 2013, meaning this
year's winner will go as African
champion. CAF confirmed on Thursday that
the winners of Sunday's final,
Burkina Faso or Nigeria, would be
at June's Confederations Cup
and there would be no playoff
involving Zambia, ensuring the Zambians never got the chance
despite winning an emotional title
by beating favorite Ivory Coast
in last year's final in Gabon. More News