CAF Orders Replay Of Champions League Final Match

Related stories

OPEC+ Surprises With Oversized Output Hike

OPEC+ will ramp up oil production more aggressively than anticipated...

2027: Okpebholo, Oborevwori, Eno, Edet, Others Rally Support for Tinubu

By Abiola Olawale The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the...

Amid Several National Grid Collapse, Power Minister Adelabu Unveils Ambition to Succeed Makinde in Oyo

Kicks Off State-wide Consultations By Abiola Olawale Minister of Power,...

Osun Guber: Davido’s Uncle, Adeleke Quashes Defection Rumours

Says he stands firm with PDP By Abiola Olawale Osun...

Zamfara 2027: Intrigues As ADC Extends Invitation to Governor Dauda Lawal

Governor Weighs options In what has been described as...

(Reuters/NAN) The second leg tie of the African Champions League final match will be replayed after the original fixture was abandoned and the match awarded to Tunisian side Esperance.

The match was awarded after opponents Wydad Casablanca of Morocco left the pitch following a disputed decision.

The Executive Committee of Confederation of African Football (CAF), meeting in Paris on the fringes of the FIFA congress, decided on Wednesday to re-stage the match at a neutral ground.

But this is a decision that could spark an immediate legal challenge.

Wydad Casablanca refused to play on after having a 59th minute effort disallowed in the return leg of the final in Tunis last Friday.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system was not working and after a delay of almost two hours the match was awarded to home side Esperance.

The Tunisian side were then handed the trophy and winners’ medals.

The first leg match in Casablanca on May 25 had ended 1-1 and Esperance were 1-0 up in the return a week later when Wydad thought they had equalised.

However, the match referee signaled for offside.

This sparked protests which continued for around 90 minutes before the game was eventually called off in scenes that bordered on the farcical.

The problem could not be solved, even when CAF president Ahmad came down to the side of the pitch to try and resolve the matter without success.

No official announcement, or explanation behind the decision, was immediately made by CAF.

However, committee members and the two clubs confirmed the decision.

Esperance are expected to appeal against the ruling, club officials said on Wednesday.

The Moroccan Football Federation, whose president Fouzi Lekjaa is a powerful figure within the CAF executive committee, said that the players had not been informed about the VAR technology being faulty.

Rules set by the game’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), state otherwise however.

The rules state that a match cannot be invalidated because of VAR technology malfunctioning or if there is a wrong decision involving VAR.

Any replay would have to be staged after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals, which are being hosted in Egypt from June 21 to July 19.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
OPEC+ Surprises With Oversized Output Hike2027: Okpebholo, Oborevwori, Eno, Edet, Others Rally Support for TinubuAmid Several National Grid Collapse, Power Minister Adelabu Unveils Ambition to Succeed Makinde in OyoOsun Guber: Davido's Uncle, Adeleke Quashes Defection RumoursZamfara 2027: Intrigues As ADC Extends Invitation to Governor Dauda Lawal$4.2m Covid-19 Scam: Nigerian Pastor Goes to Jail, Osun Monarch, Oloyede Forfeits Assets in US As Crackdown BeginsNatasha Akpoti-Uduaghan: Senate Stipulates Terms for Reinstatement After Court's RulingTinubu Departs Saint Lucia, Heads to Brazil for BRICS Summit2027: Drama, Intrigues as Julius Abure Tells Otti to Quit Labour PartyFG Secures $100m for Lagos-Calabar Project from ECOWAS BankEx- Arsenal Star Thomas Partey Faces Rape, Sexual Assault Charges in UKEdwin Cortes: Prefers Being A Small Puerto Rican Than Big AmericanJune 12 And The International Pursuit of Justice For Abiola, By Femi FalanaBreaking Down the West’s $146 Billion 2024 Defence Technology InvestmentG7 vs. the World: GDP, Population, and Military Strength
X whatsapp