ES Tunis crowned CAF Champions in shambolic circumstances

Confusion reigned in the Stade Olympique de Radès on Friday evening as the CAF Champions League final second leg match between holders ES Tunis and Wydad Casablanca was abandoned with just under an hour on the clock with the aggregate score at 2-1 to the visitors.

The tie was level at 1-1 when the teams kicked off in Radès and the home side took the lead in the 41st minute through Youcef Belaili but the restart was brief as chaos descended in the second half, leading the game to eventually be abandoned.

Walid El Karti headed home for Casablanca in the 59th minute, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2, but the referee wrongly ruled his effort out for offside.

The matter was taken to a VAR review, but due to technical issues the system was not working and therefore the initial decision could not be overturned, sparking protests from the visiting fans and Casablanca’s players and staff.

After an hour of uncertainty, match official Bakary Gassama decided to blow the full-time whistle, handing a 2-1 victory and the title to Espérance.

Casablanca are sure to take their case to the football authorities and demand a replay but as of Saturday morning there was no official word from the Confederation of African Football on the events of the evening before.