CAF to wait for court ruling on abandoned Champions League final

African football chief Ahmad Ahmad said on Thursday he would wait on a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport before deciding the outcome of the abandoned Champions League final between Esperance and Wydad Casablanca.

CAF last month ordered the second leg to be replayed at a neutral venue following the Africa Cup of Nations after the Moroccan side Wydad walked off an hour into the return fixture in Tunis when a VAR malfunction meant a disallowed equaliser could not be reviewed.

Tunisia’s Esperance, who led 2-1 overall at the time, was initially handed the title, but CAF later backtracked after determining that “playing and security conditions were not met”. Both clubs subsequently lodged appeals with CAS.

“The two clubs didn’t want our African solution, one based on consensus, because they made mistakes,” Ahmad said, following Wednesday’s CAF executive committee meeting in Cairo.

“We’re in a period of reforms, our laws are not yet adjusted to solve these kinds of things. That’s why we need to be flexible,” he added.

“We’re waiting for the CAS decision in due course and then we will act based on it.”

The Lausanne-based tribunal will issue a ruling by July 31 on a match that has tarnished African football’s reputation.

The fiasco has prompted CAF to reduce both the Champions League and Confederation Cup finals from two legs to one match at a neutral venue from next season.