Colombian forward Jaminton Campaz remains in Canada, against his will, despite his team already being eliminated from the World Cup. The 26-year-old Rosario Central striker carries the sorrow of having missed a clear goal opportunity in the round of 16 against Switzerland, a mistake that some outraged people have not forgiven him for, to the point that he has received death threats.
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The Colombian Federation has chosen to avoid the player’s return, given the tragic precedent of 1994. In that World Cup, defender Andrés Escobar scored an own goal against the USA. Ten days later, he was murdered in a dispute motivated by the own goal.
Campaz’s mistake, who did score his penalty in the final round in which Switzerland prevailed, came immediately after the match. The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) considered the threats credible and issued a statement condemning this type of behavior. “No athlete, nor any member of their environment, should be subject to intimidation for representing the country in a sporting event,” the text said.
Likewise, the FCF has requested the “Attorney General’s Office [of Colombia] to carry out, with the utmost speed, the necessary investigations to identify, prosecute, and sanction those responsible for these acts.”
For now, Campaz remains hidden in Vancouver (Canada), waiting to have a security guarantee to return to the country. On his Instagram account, he expressed: “My Colombia, please let us never set aside respect. We can think differently, feel frustration or sadness, but no passion justifies hatred and living in fear.”
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