An African legend has landed himself in some serious trouble with Africa's football governing body for faking a CAF coaching license.
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Former Morocco playmaker Mustapha Hadji has been slapped with a five-year ban by Africa's football governing body after it was found by the CAF Disciplinary Committee that the 51-year-old had forged his coaching qualifications.
Following his retirement from football, Hadji had a brief stint as an assistant coach in the Qatari Stars League before occupying the same role for the Moroccan national team since 2014, serving under the likes of Badou Zaki, Herve Renard and Vahid Halilhodzic.
"In the present case, the CAF disciplinary panel noted that after investigation with the Central African Football Federation, it was established that the license certificate 'A' in the name of Mr Mustapha Hadji is falsified and that he has never registered for License A training and that no diploma has been issued to him by this federation," a statement from CAF read, as per El Botola.
"Fraud is a serious offence which undermines CAF's values and principles of ethics."
Hadji is the only Moroccan ever to win the CAF African Player of the Year award, accomplishing the feat in 1998 after he was lauded for his exploits at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
Over two decades removed from that historic event, the ex-Aston Villa man has now been found guilty of falsifying his coaching badges.
The A license CAF provides is the highest coaching qualification one can receive from the federation.
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Hadji can still appeal the decision should he wish to, as per the same report.
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