The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made a significant decision ahead of the fifth round of the CAF Champions League, replacing Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed with compatriot Samir Guezzaz as the main referee for the Etoile du Sahel versus Esperance match on February 24, 2024.
The move by the referees committee followed a crisis during the ranking match in “AFCON 2023” where Jiyed expressed displeasure after not being chosen for the final match.
Jiyed was originally appointed to officiate the 3rd place playoff game between South Africa and DR Congo at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, but he refused and returned to Morocco as he only wanted to handle the final of the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
Ethiopian referee Bamlak Tessema took his place as South Africa edged out DR Congo on penalties to claim the bronze medal.
The assistants for the Etoile and Esperance match at the Stade Hammadi Agrebi remained Hassan Azkaw and Mustafa Akrakad.
Esperance, facing Etoile, aimed to maintain its competitive edge in the CAF Champions League, as indicated by their recent draw against Angola’s Petro Atletico.
The football community eagerly awaited the outcome of the upcoming clash between the two Tunisian clubs.
