CAF Champions League
CAF DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OVERRULES EMERGENCY COMMITTEE IN STALEMATED CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE FINAL
Further inadequacies in the Confederation of African Football, CAF, has further emerged as the Disciplinary Committee headed by South Africa’s Raymond Hack has overturned an earlier decision of CAF president, Ahmad’s headed Emergency Committee regarding the stalemated CAF Champions League second leg match of last May.
While the match, as well as the trophy, was awarded to host team, Esperance of Tunisia following the decision of the visiting Wydad Casablanca of Morocco to discontinue the match over a disputed goal, CAF Emergency Committee held a meeting in Paris few days later and ordered a replay.
Both contesting clubs headed for Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS) to press for award of the match rather than a rematch, CAS upheld the appeal of Esperance and duly awarded it the championship – a direct overturn of CAF decision.
CAF declared it would study the decision, an action its disciplinary committee has taken and lined behind the CAS decision.
It went further to impose a fine of $20,000 on Wydad for abandoning the match and a further $15,000 for the use of flares by supporters.
Esperance on the other hand were handed a $50,000 fine for use of flares and the throwing of projectiles by their supporters during the game in Tunis on May 31.
The teams had drawn 1-1 in the first leg of the final in Casablanca and Esperance were 1-0 up in the return match when Wydad netted what they thought was a 59th-minute equaliser.
The referee ruled it out for offside, however, and turned down animated appeals from the Wydad players to consult the VAR because the system was not working.
Wydad refused to play on and the argument continued on the pitch between the teams and officials for some two hours before the game was called off and Esperance were awarded the trophy.
Five days later, CAF’s executive committee said the second leg must be replayed on neutral territory.
Esperance appealed to CAS to be reinstated as champions after Wydad’s walk-off, while the Moroccans argued they should be declared winners or that both legs of the final be annulled and a single replay ordered.
CAS rejected Wydad’s argument, but said the question of whether the match would be replayed would need to be considered by the appropriate CAF body — the disciplinary committee.
Wednesday’s decision is an embarrassing outcome for the beleaguered CAF executive committee, which was unanimous in ordering a replay in what critics said was pandering to the strong Moroccan influence on the organisation.
The running of CAF was taken over last week by FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura amid allegations of corruption.
Esperance will now play in the Club World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
They are also only the third club to retain the continent’s top club prize, having won it in 2018.
Nigeria’s sole survivor into the second round of the CAF Champions League, Enugu Rangers have crashed out of the competition. They lost 3-1 to Angola’s Sagrada Esperança this Sunday in Luanda.
The aggregate scoreline is 3-2 as Rangers last weekend won their home game 1-0. Sagrada Esperança opened the game with offensive and got their first goal barely six minutes into the game when Alexandre Fernando found the back of the net.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 33rd minute through Mussa. But four minutes later, Enugu Rangers reduced the tally to 2-1 to carry an away goal advantage into half time.
Jamie Pimpao got the much needed goal for Angola in the 67th minute to seal the hopes of Rangers.
Sagrada Esperança will now go into next month’s draw for the draw of the group stage.
CAF Champions League 2nd Preliminary Round action resumed on Saturday, 14 September following the resumption of the Africa’s premium club competition on Friday.
It was mostly the travelling teams that secured victories away from home on Saturday, who put themselves in fairly comfortable situations ahead of the return leg next week.
Orlando Pirates had a mental obstacle to overcome in Gaborone against Jwaneng Galaxy, having to face the same side that eliminated them in the same phase of the competition last season.
The former champions secured a 2-0 victory in Gaborone to put themselves in a comfortable position ahead of the return leg next weekend.
Five-time champions, TP Mazembe were away to Red Arrows in Zambia where they also put two past their hosts ahead of the return leg in Lubumbashi.
Mamelodi Sundowns, who played their away match in the comfort of their home stadium against Swaziland’s Mbabane Swallows made use of home ground advantage with a comfortable 4-0 win over their neighbours.
Tanzanian champions, Young Africans secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over CBE SA of Rwanda as Tanzanian giants continue to chase a continental title.
It was a rather tough outing for Moroccan outfit, AS FAR when they travelled to Sudan to face Al Merrikh. A highly entertaining encounter concluded with a 2-2 draw, ahead of the return leg in Morocco.
Egyptian side, Pyramids FC also played out to a draw when they were held 1-1 by APR FC in Rwanda.
Burkina Faso side, Association Sportive des Douanes out up an impressive showing when they edged Algeria’s CR Belouizdad by 1-0.
The first leg of the 2nd Preliminary Round concludes on Sunday, with five interesting encounters lined up, including reigning champions Al Ahly kick starting their title defense away from home.
TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Results & Fixtures:
Friday, 13 September
Enugu Rangers 1 – 0 Sagrada Esperanca
Monastir 0 – 1 MC Alger
Saturday, 14 September
CBE SA 0 – 1 Young Africans
Red Arrows 0 – 2 TP Mazembe
Al-Merrikh 2 – 2 AS FAR
Jwaneng Galaxy FC 0 – 2 Orlando Pirates FC
Maniema Union 2 – 1 Petro de Luanda
Djoliba 1 – 0 ASKO
Douanes 1 – 0 CR Belouizdad
Sunday, 15 September
12h00 GMT | Gor Mahia vs Al Ahly
15h00 GMT | Samartex vs Raja CA
16h00 GMT | San Pedro vs Al-Hilal
16h00 GMT | Dekedaha vs ES Tunis
19h00 GMT | Stade d’Abidjan vs Milo FC
The return leg fixtures of the 2nd Preliminary stage will be played between 20 – 22 September.
-CAF
Enugu Rangers’ patchy form in the CAF Champions League continues as they struggled to beat visiting Angola’s Sagrada Esperance 1-0 in the first leg match played at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
It was in similar fashion that they played against Union Sportive de Zilimadjou of Comoros Islands who they beat 2-1 over two legs in Uyo.
Rangers’ lone goal was scored by Kazeem Ogunleye in the 80th minute.
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