The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has ordered the replay of the 2018/19 Champions League final second leg between Esperance and Wydad Casablanca “outside Tunisian territory”.
Title holders Esperance, playing at home at Stade Olympique de Radès last Friday night after a 1-1 first leg result, were in the lead until their Moroccan opponents scored an equalizer in the second half but saw it disallowed by the referee.
Wydad, in protest, left the pitch insisting the incident be assessed by the Video Assistant Referee technology which had been used in the first leg clash in Morocco.
But the VAR system did not work, forcing the visitors to abandon the rest of the game.
Referee Papa Gassama had to end proceedings with Esperance declared champions and subsequently had their trophy and medal presentation ceremony effected.
Peeved by the turnout of events, Wydad followed up on their walk off with a protest to Fifa and an action at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).
Bizarre Caf U-turn
Caf held an emergency meeting after the Fifa Congress in Paris Wednesday and decided a replay of the Champions League final second leg outside Tunisia.
According to a Caf statement, the Executive Committee unanimously decided the following:
– the conditions of game and safety were not met during the 2nd leg of the CAF Champions League final held on May 31, 2019, preventing the match from coming to an end;
– Consequently, the 2nd leg match must be replayed on another ground outside Tunisian territory;
– All the CAF regulations relating to this competition are maintained for the said 2nd leg match.
– The date and venue of this meeting will be determined later by the CAF Executive Committee;
– consequently, Espérance de Tunis will have to render to the CAF Secretariat trophy and medals awarded on May 31, 2019, upon official notification of this decision;
– All other aspects of disciplinary, organization and refereeing will be submitted to the relevant committees for processing and decisions.
South Africa has been rumoured to be the destination for the 2018/19 Caf Champions League final second leg replay. The match could come off only after the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations which ends July 19.
