The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) have outright rejected sanctions that have been levied against them by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their decision to pull out as host of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competition.

The Moroccans refused to remain as host nation for the continental competition due to fears concerning the potential spread of the Ebola virus from other affected areas of Africa to the North African nation.

Morocco’s decision to refuse their AFCON responsibilities came with the tournament only a few months away, meaning that CAF needed to find an emergency replacement at the last minute, angering the African football governing body, and leading to them imposing sanctions on the Moroccans which included a ban from the recently concluded AFCON, which they were supposed to host.

Equatorial Guinea came in to replace Morocco as host nation, and they did a good job of welcoming the continent and hosting the tournament without any Ebola complications arising.

At a CAF meeting in Bata during the Nations Cup, the Issa Hayatou-led group decided that the sanctions would include Morocco being banned from the next two AFCON competitions while also receiving a $1million fine and requiring that €8.5 million in damages be paid to CAF.

The Moroccans have now reacted to the CAF decisions, with FRMF President Faouzi Lakjaa believing that the sanctions are too severe, based on his original meeting with Hayatou in Cairo recently.

“The Executive Committee is said to be greatly surprised by the decisions taken by CAF,” the FRMF revealed on its official website. “They do not correspond in any way to the conclusions of the first meeting in Cairo with the President of CAF.”