The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced an emergency meeting on June 4 to address the controversy surrounding the second leg of the 2018–2019 CAF Champions League final, held on Friday evening at the Radès Olympic Stadium in Tunisia. The match, contested between Espérance Sportive de Tunis (EST) and Wydad Athletic Club (WAC) of Casablanca, ended in chaos and has sparked widespread criticism across African football.
The Tunisian club was declared champions after the match was abandoned due to major refereeing issues. The game broke down in the 59th minute when Wydad’s goal, scored by Walid Karti, was disallowed for an alleged offside. Wydad players immediately requested a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, but the referee refused to consult the system. In protest, Wydad refused to resume play, forcing the match to be suspended and later ended prematurely.
CAF officials subsequently deemed that Wydad had effectively withdrawn from the match, allowing Espérance to be awarded the victory. The decision has sparked outrage in Morocco and among African football fans, with many questioning the integrity of the competition and the reliability of VAR technology in high-stakes matches.
In a statement, CAF confirmed that President Ahmad Ahmad has called for an emergency Executive Committee meeting on June 4 to discuss the regulatory issues arising from the abandoned match. The announcement emphasized that the meeting would focus on clarifying the circumstances of the match stoppage, the role of refereeing decisions, and the technical failure that prevented VAR from being consulted.
The first leg of the final in Rabat had already been marred by controversy. Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha was suspended for six months by CAF due to complaints about his officiating. The second leg, intended to determine Africa’s top club, instead became a source of further disputes, highlighting ongoing concerns about officiating standards, technology reliability, and governance within the CAF.
Wydad officials have indicated that they will pursue appeals to FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), arguing that the match’s outcome should not stand given the irregularities. The Moroccan side maintains that the disallowed goal would have equalized the aggregate score and that the refusal to use VAR compromised the fairness of the contest.
Despite the controversy, Espérance Sportive de Tunis celebrated a historic achievement. The club became only the second team in African football history to win consecutive CAF Champions League titles without losing a match, a feat previously accomplished by Al Ahly in 2005 and 2006. Remarkably, Espérance achieved this just six months after their previous victory on the same Rades pitch, demonstrating their dominance in African club football.
The events of the second leg have sparked intense debate about African football governance, highlighting the need for improved referee oversight, technology management, and regulatory clarity. The emergency meeting on June 4 will be closely watched, as CAF seeks to restore credibility and provide a resolution to one of the most contentious finals in African Champions League history.
For now, Espérance Tunis celebrates the title, while Wydad Casablanca continues to contest the outcome, promising to escalate their appeal to the highest sporting authorities. The Radès final will be remembered as a landmark case in African football, emphasizing both the promise and the challenges of modern refereeing and technology in the continent’s most prestigious club competition.
