‘Je ne comprend pas,’ CAF told

BAMAKO - The age-old tensions between anglophone and francophone factions in African football have come bubbling to the surface in a row over the wording on the new-look trophy used at this year’s Nations Cup. The newly designed spiral-shaped African Nations Cup trophy was supposed to be used for the first time on Sunday when it is handed to the 2002 winners. But the trophy has been hurriedly sent back to its European designers after anglophone Confederation of African Football (CAF) members complained that the wording on the prize was only in French and not in English as well. Now a replica of the five kilogramme gold trophy will be used at Sunday’s final. “The two official languages of CAF are English and French,” a CAF official told AFP. “CAF therefore had no choice but to send the trophy back to its Swiss-Italian designer in Switzerland for the correction to be made. We will take custody of the trophy later this year.” Relations between anglophone and francophone football bodies within CAF have often been highly sensitive, with each faction jockeying for a greater say.ends