THE CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE final second leg between ES Tunis and Wydad Casablanca will be replayed outside of Tunisia after Friday’s farcical encounter in Rades was cut short.
ES Tunis were initially crowned champions 2-1 on aggregate to retain their title after taking a 1-0 lead in the second leg.
An apparent VAR failure saw Wydad denied an equaliser that was wrongly ruled offside by the linesman just before the hour-mark.
After Wydad refused to continue playing in protest of the decision and a 90-minute delay followed, the referee decided to abandon the game and hand the trophy to the Tunisian side.
However, the CAF executive committee met in Paris on Wednesday and ruled “the second leg match must be replayed on another ground outside Tunisian territory. The conditions of the game and safety were not met during the second leg of the CAF Champions League final held on 31 May, 2019, preventing the match from coming to an end.”
Former Bohemians, UCD and Longford Town player Ayman Ben Mohamed, who was raised in Dublin, played at left-back on the ES Tunis team. He set up team-mate Mohamed Toucef Belaili to give his side the lead in the second leg.
ES Tunis have been ordered to return the trophy and medals awarded on Friday. The date and venue of the second leg is yet to be determined, with the tie locked at 1-1 after the opening game in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
