Wydad Casablanca Requests Stadium Change for CAF Champions League Final Amid Safety Concerns
Wydad Casablanca has formally asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to relocate the second leg of the 2018–2019 CAF Champions League final, scheduled for Friday evening at the Radès Stadium in Tunisia. The match will see the Moroccan club face Espérance Sportive de Tunis, and Wydad cited safety concerns over certain sections of the Tunisian stadium as the reason for their request.
In an official statement, Wydad expressed its concern over the reported condition of the stadium:
“The news, accessible and verifiable, coming from the host stadium is not reassuring. There are reports of stands and parts of the stadium that do not meet standards and cannot, under any circumstances, accommodate supporters. If this information proves true, WAC officially requests, immediately, a change of stadium, as it cannot allow the endangerment of football supporters, on both sides, Moroccan and Tunisian.”
The Moroccan club emphasized that it could not permit any risk to the safety of fans attending the highly anticipated Maghreb clash.
However, Tunisian officials have pushed back against these concerns. According to the director general of the Radès Olympic Stadium, Tarek Farjaoui, reports circulating in the media about unsafe stands are “unfounded and unverifiable.” Speaking to the Tunisian Press Agency (TAP) on Tuesday, Farjaoui stated that the stadium’s structures meet current safety standards, although maintenance work on certain connecting columns is planned.
“The Radès stadium has been in operation for about twenty years. It is now time to carry out general maintenance work to prevent mistakes similar to those made at the El Menzah stadium. However, the stadium does not pose a danger to supporters and is fully capable of accommodating 60,000 fans for Friday’s second leg of the Champions League final,” Farjaoui said.
He reassured both clubs and their supporters that the stadium is ready to host the match safely, despite the ongoing maintenance efforts.
This disagreement highlights the high tensions surrounding the final between two of North Africa’s football giants. With a first-leg result of 1-1 in Rabat, both Wydad and Espérance are expected to bring large contingents of supporters to the Tunisian capital, making stadium safety a crucial concern for CAF and local authorities.
As the countdown to the decisive encounter continues, CAF will likely assess both clubs’ concerns before confirming final arrangements to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of fans.
