CAF Champions League
CAF 2019 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CONTROVERSY: MOROCCO’S WYDAD RETURN TO CAS
The last may not have been heard concerning on the controversial final match of the 2018/19 CAF Champions League contested by Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club and Tunisia’s Esperance.
According to Morocco World News, Wydad is not happy with CAF’s final verdict in which CAF upheld the appeal of Esperance. That has also qualified Esperance to represent Africa at the 2019 FIFA Clubs World Cup in Qatar.
But in a surprising move after CAF’s final verdict, the Moroccan club has said it plans to file yet another complaint to contest CAF’s ruling. Wydad is taking advantage of the fact that it has 10 days to protest the ruling before the decision becomes binding and irreversible.
“We will fight for our rights until the very end,” Wydad chairman Said Naciri has been quoted as saying just hours after CAF’s verdict was made public.
Naciri said that his team “has been fighting for more than two months” to expose the “oppression” and other outrageous treatment they were subjected to before, during, and after the second leg at the Rades stadium on the outskirts of Tunis. “Esperance does not deserve to win if we take into account the way things unfolded in Rades,” the Wydad president argued.
But the surprise, even irony, in Wydad’s resolve to “fight until the end” means the club is determined to rush into taking its final complaint to an entity, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has already ruled that ES Tunis should be the champions.
After the controversial second leg match in May, CAF initially opted for a rematch. But both Wydad and EST felt they had been wronged. The two clubs took the matter to CAS, each arguing that it should be the rightful winner.
CAS then overruled CAF’s rematch decision but declared EST as more legally deserving of win. Other than Wydad’s complaint about CAF’s rematch ruling, CAS said then, its case for winning the match was not legally compelling.
CAF’s latest verdict was a confirmation of CAS previous ruling, which raises questions as to what Wydad really hopes to get from yet another complaint with yet another body that has already delivered in favor of the opposing side.
But Wydad’s Naciri does not see the matter this way. He sees neither irony nor contradiction in Wydad’s resolve to file a complaint with CAS.
In his statement, he appears to evince confidence that maybe this time CAS, suddenly realizing that its previous ruling had missed some elements of the controversy, will give Wydad’s indignation the support and validation it deserves.
“Our next step will be to bring the case to CAS,” Naciri said, adding that he expects the court to deliver in a spirit of “equity.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will conduct the quarter-final draws for the 2025/26 editions of its two flagship interclub competitions — the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup — on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association in Cairo.
The CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final draw is scheduled to begin at 13:00 Cairo time (11:00 GMT), followed by the CAF Champions League quarter-final draw at 14:00 Cairo time (12:00 GMT).
The ceremonies will be broadcast live on CAF’s official YouTube platform, CAF TV, allowing fans across the continent and beyond to follow proceedings in real time.
Road to the Finals Takes Shape
The draws will determine not only the quarter-final pairings but also the pathway to the finals in both competitions, effectively mapping out the remaining knockout journey for Africa’s elite clubs.
With the group stages concluded, the quarter-finals mark the beginning of direct elimination football — a phase traditionally defined by tactical discipline, squad depth and mental resilience. Clubs will be keenly watching the draw to gauge potential heavyweight clashes or favourable routes to the semi-finals.
In the Champions League, former title holders and emerging contenders alike will be hoping to avoid early confrontations against continental heavyweights. Similarly, in the Confederation Cup, where competitive balance has grown in recent seasons, the draw could produce intriguing North-South or West-East showdowns.
Strategic Importance for Clubs
Beyond sporting prestige, progression to the latter stages of CAF competitions carries significant financial incentives, enhanced continental ranking points and increased global visibility. With African club football enjoying expanded broadcast reach and commercial partnerships, success in these tournaments has become both a sporting and economic objective.
Hosting the draws at the Egyptian FA headquarters in Cairo reinforces the city’s status as a nerve centre of African football administration, as clubs await clarity on their next assignments in what promises to be a decisive knockout phase of the 2025/26 campaign.
All eyes will now turn to Cairo as Africa’s road to continental glory becomes clearer.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Moroccan side RS Berkane delivered a commanding 3–0 victory over Rivers United FC to book their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Berkane imposed themselves early and broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Youssef Mehri fired into the bottom corner following a swift attacking move.
The hosts doubled their lead seven minutes later as Paul Valère Bassène finished clinically after being played through by Mounir Chouiar, leaving Rivers United with a mountain to climb before halftime.
The contest was effectively settled eight minutes into the second half. Bassène grabbed his second of the night in the 53rd minute, converting from close range after a corner to put the result beyond doubt.
Berkane maintained control for the remainder of the match, limiting Rivers United to speculative efforts and half-chances before comfortably seeing out the encounter.
With the results, Pyramids FC finish top of Group A, while RS Berkane join them in the knockout phase as runners-up, bringing the group stage to a decisive conclusion.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Reigning CAF Champions League holders Pyramids FC signed off their group-stage campaign in style with a 3–1 victory over Power Dynamos FC on Matchday 6 to secure top spot in Group A.
The Egyptian side made a bright start and went ahead in the 16th minute when Mostafa Ziko rose highest to head home from a corner, underlining their early dominance.
Power Dynamos responded almost immediately. Frederick Mulambia restored parity a minute later, finishing from close range after a well-worked cross to briefly unsettle the hosts.
However, Pyramids regained control midway through the first half. In the 33rd minute, Youssef Obama reacted quickest inside the penalty area to restore the lead, sending the defending champions into the break 2–1 ahead.
The decisive moment came in the 59th minute when Ewerton unleashed a superb right-footed strike from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner, extending the advantage to 3–1.
Despite late substitutions and sporadic pressure from the visitors, Pyramids managed proceedings comfortably to claim all three points and finish the group stage at the summit.
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- WAFCON4 days ago
BREAKING: CAF Postpones WAFCON 2026
- OBITUARY5 days ago
Nigerian Sports Journalism Mourns Oyeniyi Oyeleke and Tonex Chukwu
- MLS1 week ago
Trump to Host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami at the White House
- World Cup5 days ago
‘I really don’t care’ if Iran plays in World Cup, Trump tells Politico
- World Cup4 days ago
Iraq’s World Cup Playoff in Doubt as War Disrupts Travel and Visa Processing
- FA Cup2 days ago
Eze thunderbolt guides Arsenal past Mansfield into FA Cup quarter-finals
- WAFCON1 week ago
Ahead of WAFCON 2026, CAF Celebrates Super Falcons’ Enduring Legacy from Trailblazers to Torchbearers
- MLS3 days ago
Trump celebrates Messi