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The final return of the African Cup of Clubs (Champions League) 2019 between Esperance Tunis (Tunisia) and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco) will be replayed on neutral ground and after CAN 2019, has just announced the Confederation of African Football, June 5, 2019 in Paris. The first leg 1-1 is retained. Tunisians will have to return the medals and the winner trophy.
Surprise in Paris, June 5, 2019. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made an extremely rare decision: to replay the final of one of its competitions. This is the final return of the African Cup of Clubs (CAF Champions League) which had degenerated on May 31 near Tunis, between Esperance Tunis (Tunisia) and Wydad Casablanca (Morocco). ).
After CAN 2019 and on neutral ground
The meeting will take place on neutral ground after the 2019 African Cup of Nations (21 June-19 July), " on a date to be scheduled, " said a spokesman for the CAF, reading a statement under the cries of Moroccan joy and those of Tunisian anger. " The conditions of play and security were not met during the second leg, [...] preventing the match from coming to an end. As a result, the match must be replayed on land outside Tunisian territory. The score of the first leg (1-1) will, however, be retained.
Although the trophy has already been raised by Tunisians, the Executive Committee (ComEx) has also demanded that the Esperantists return it, as well as their medals.
The discussions within ComEx have been much longer than expected. The session started on June 4th at noon. Then, after a break of 24 hours, because of the Congress of the International Football Federation (FIFA), it resumed this June 5 afternoon and lasted more than five hours. The closed faces of some members of the Tunisian delegation already allowed to guess this outcome, however, not very propitious. Unlikely due to the laws of the game and the impending CAN 2019.
A double final enamelled with polemics
On May 31st in Radès, the return leg of the CAF Champions League 2019 ended in confusion. Esperance Tunis, the local club, was declared 1-0 winner and African champion, after 60 minutes of play and 90 minutes of interruption. Opposing players from Wydad Casablanca refused to take over the game. They actually protested against the non-use of video arbitration (VAR), the equipment of the VAR being down. In the 61st minute, they had indeed seen their equalization denied by the referee, for a supposed offside.
The first leg, May 24, had already been marked by controversies over arbitration. So much so that referee Gehad Grisha was suspended for six months following his " weak performance ".