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A media officer banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for five years for “indecent conduct” during an ongoing tournament in Algeria has denied wrongdoing.

Beninois journalist Felix Peperipe, who was working for CAF at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in the north African nation, was suspended this week.

Peperipe said that CAF’s ruling that he had tried to kiss a woman working at the tournament is “false”.

An investigation by CAF’s Disciplinary Committee found him guilty of “violating the CAF statutes and of indecent conduct”.

“I am truly disappointed by what is happening at CAF and more specifically by the disciplinary committee,” he said from his home in Benin.

CAF’s ruling is clear about its suspension of Peperipe, who had been working in the city of Constantine and who has worked for the African football body, as well as global body FIFA, for the last five years.

“The gentleman in question was found guilty by the Disciplinary Committee of violating the Caf statutes and of indecent conduct and a sanction banning him from all Caf competitions for five years was imposed,” CAF Disciplinary Committee president Raymond Hack told BBC Sport Africa.

The CAF decision ruled that Peperipe had tried to kiss a woman referred to as victim ‘X’, who BBC Sport Africa understands to be a Moroccan woman working in VAR in Algeria on 19 January, shortly after which a second complaint come through.

“The perpetrator asked [victim ‘X’] to come in to collect [tickets] allowing her team to access the stadium,” CAF’s ruling stated.

“As soon as she received the envelope, she got ready to leave but [Peperipe] tried to persuade her to stay for a beer, she refused and as he left he attacked her trying to kiss her. She pushed him and ran out of the bedroom.

“Victim ‘X’ also provided CAF with the WhatsApp conversation between her and the perpetrator that took place after the incident, where it appeared that [Peperipe sent] her ‘a thousand apologies’ for said incident.”

Shortly after deciding to provisionally suspend Peperipe, CAF says it received a second complaint from victim ‘Y’ detailing that the Beninois had, during the last Chan in Cameroon in 2021, “invited her to his room where he would pay her the necessary amount for a certain act”.

Peperipe has not responded to questions about the alleged incident in Cameroon but did answer regarding the one in Algeria.

“When you push someone out, you have to have proof. But there is no proof,” he said.

“I sincerely regret the speed with which the disciplinary committee has come to its decision. I have never seen such speed at CAF, where they still have a lot of open cases lying around.

“For example, the Moroccans have boycotted the Chan but CAF has yet to sanction them – is that normal?”

Peperipe claimed he is the victim of an ongoing diplomatic battle between Chan hosts Algeria and their neighbours Morocco, who withdrew from the tournament shortly before it started. 

CAF rules state that any team that withdraws before the competition will be automatically barred from the next edition of the finals as well as receive a US$5 000 fine. – BBCSport