TheCable

The Tunisian Football Federation (FTF) have filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the threat of being banned from the 2017 Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) gave a deadline of March 31 to the FTF to apologise or risk suspension for accusing CAF of cheating.

Tunisia pointed the finger at the football body after losing 2-1 to Equatorial Guinea in a controversial way.

Angry Tunisia players chased the match referee, Rajindraparsad Seechurn, who had to be protected by security officials.

CAF later banned Seechurn for six months for his “poor performance” and fined Tunisia $50,000 for what it called “the aggressive attitude of some supporters in the stands, invasion of the pitch after the final whistle by players and substitutes of the Tunisian team – insulting the referee of the match and trying to physically assault him”.

The body also asked Tunisia to apologise for “insinuations of bias and lack of ethics against CAF and its officials, or to present irrefutable evidence to substantiate the accusations”.

An arbitration procedure has now been initiated and conducted in accordance with the Code of Sports-related arbitration by CAS.