Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe is one of the football stakeholders on the continent despondent with Casablanca in Morocco being chosen as the venue for the 2022 CAF Champions League final after the organising committee of the competition did not inform him of the decision.
But besides Motsepe, Egyptian football giants Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane also feels the decision to take the game to Casablanca gives Wydad, a Moroccan side also gunning for a place in the May 30 final, a home-game advantage, according to reports.
There had been a backlash from a number of fronts in the African football fraternity after the announcement, made through a CAF press statement. The CAF organising committee justified its decision by saying it had no other candidates to host the game after Senegal pulled out.
The decision has caused some furore, more so in Egypt where 10-time Champions League title holders are set to meet Wydad in the final after both teams won their first leg semi-final matches at the weekend.
“The previous CAF leadership decided on 17 July 2019 that the winner of the CAF Champions League will be determined by a one-leg final, instead of the usual two-legged, home and away final, reads the statement.
“CAF received a bid from the Senegalese Football Federation and from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to host the final of the CAF Champions League 2022. The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently withdrew their bid.
“CAF is therefore pleased to award the hosting of the CAF Champions League 2022 final to Morocco. The date of the final is 30 May 2022.
“There are currently discussions under way within CAF to revert to the old two-legged home and away final to determine the winner of the CAF Champions League, rather than the one-leg final,” concludes the statement.
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