ustice and common sense
prevailed in the end as the
Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS) ruled Esperance were the
winners of the African Champions
League at the conclusion of a
tawdry affair that was just one of several crisis facing
football on the continent.
The Tunisian club had been awarded the trophy
and their medals after opponents Wydad of Morocco
refused to play on after 59 minutes of the second
leg of the Final.
Wydad, then 2-1 behind on aggregate, had scored
what they thought was an equaliser but it was ruled
offside. They sought relief from the Video Assistant
Referee system, which the Confederation of African
Football (CAF) had brought in for the two legs of
the Final. But on being told it was not working, they
refused to continue playing.
Two hours of squabbling pitchside in Tunis,
including CAF president Ahmad coming down from
his VIP box to intervene, did not solve the problem
and eventually referee Bakary Gassama blew his
whistle and Esperance were handed a walkover.
However, just a matter of days later, the CAF
executive committee ruled otherwise. “The playingand security conditions were not met during the
second leg, preventing the match from reaching its
conclusion,” it concluded. “As a result, the match will
have to be replayed at a ground outside of Tunisia
and Esperance will have to the give trophy back.”
It was a bizarre decision that said everything about
the strong Moroccan
influence in CAF’s
corridors of power
at the height of a crisis
in the organisation’s
leadership.
Both clubs
immediately appealed
the decision to CAS,
who found after a
two-day hearing in
Lausanne that not only
did CAF’s executive not
have the right to make
the decision but that
Wydad’s assertion they
be handed victory, or
alternatively just one
match be played on
neutral venue – therebya friendly at the weekend with
what was initially thought to be fl u.
Tuesday August 20
EGYPT: The Bureau of the FIFA
Council appoints a normalisation
committee for the Egyptian Football
Association after the resignation of
the association president and the
entire EFA board.
LIBERTADORES CUP: Palmeiras
win 1-0 away to Gremio in the first
leg of their quarter-final despite
having Felipe Melo sent off.
SPAIN: Third-tier side Salamanca
are to appoint former referee
Marco Rodriguez – who officiated
Brazil’s 7-1 loss to Germany in the
2014 World Cup semi-finals – as
their coach.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:
Ten-man Ajax draw with APOEL,
while Slavia Prague and Club
Brugge win away at CFR Cluj
and LASK respectively.
USA: MLS announces St Louis as a
new expansion club, a move which
will boost the league to 28 teams.
Wednesday August 21
ITALY: Fiorentina sign Franck
Ribery following his release by
Bayern Munich, where he won a
record nine Bundesliga titles and
the 2013 Champions League.
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: Akademija
Osh’s Ilych Imanbekov is killed in a
road accident while returning from
a 3-1 defeat to Alay Osh, with other
players suffering minor injuries.
LIBERTADORES CUP: Boca
Juniors claim a 3-0 win away to
LDU Quito, while Flamengo win
2-0 at home to Internacional in
their quarter-final first legs.
QATAR: Al Sadd begin their
defence of the Qatar Stars League
title with a 4-1 victory at home to
newly promoted Al Wakrah.
TUNISIA: National coach Alain
Giresse has his contract ended
by mutual consent.
TURKEY: Former Liverpool striker
Daniel Sturridge signs a three-year
deal with Trabzonspor.
UEFA CHAMP LEAGUE:
Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb
win at home, against Krasnodar and
Rosenborg respectively, while Young
Boys draw with Red Star Belgrade.
Thursday August 22
LIBERTADORES CUP: River Plate
beat Cerro Porteno 2-0 with
penalties by Ignacio Fernandez
and Rafael Santos Borre.
SAUDI ARABIA: Abderrazak
Hamdallahn scores for a 14th
consecutive Saudi Pro League
game as defending champions
CAS rules
in favour of
Esperance
Champions League Final
farce is eventually resolved
Displeasure
...Esperance
fans protestAbandoned...the game
in Tunis is called off“The fundamental question
is: why wasn’t there a
proper hearing?”
Sport in LawJ
Africa
MARK GLEESON