Egyptian champions Al Ahly have filed a complaint to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) following Caf’s decision to pick Morocco as the hosts for the Champions League final.
The North African giants remained on course to reach another final after they defeated ES Setif from Algeria 4-0 in the semi-final first leg fixture at Al-Salam Stadium Cairo on Saturday.
With the return leg set for Saturday at Stade du 5 Juillet, Caf has already announced the final of the African competition will now be staged in Morocco.
The decision has not gone down well with the Red Devils, who have insisted the final scheduled for May 30, should be played on neutral ground. Al Ahly have now issued a statement contesting the decision by the African body.
What did the Al Ahly statement say?
“Al Ahly have decided to present an appeal to Cas against the decision of Caf of not holding the 2022 Caf Champions League final in a neutral venue, aside from the venues of the four semi-finalists, in addition to other violations that do not meet the Olympic Charter, Fifa, and Caf regulations,” read a statement on their official website.
“The club has previously demanded Caf to play the game in a neutral venue and will appeal against Caf’s decision, requesting Cas to resolve the situation before the competition’s final.
BackpagePix.“Caf announced in their statement, which was published on Caf’s official platforms, the chosen venue to host the game and mentioned in the same statement they are in discussions to revert to the old two-legged home and away final.”
The statement continued: “Moreover, Al Ahly hopes Caf will be keen not to disrupt justice and they will provide Cas with all the required documents that will help in achieving justice.
“Al Ahly’s decision to appeal to Cas came after Caf took the decision to hold the Champions League final in the same venue for the second season in a row. This decision will give home advantage to a certain team that will play at home in front of their fans in addition to violating other laws and regulations.”
What did the Caf statement say on the venue?
On confirming Morocco as hosts for the final, Caf said in a statement: “The previous Caf leadership decided on July 17, 2019, the winner of the Champions League will be determined by a one-leg final, instead of the usual two-legged, home and away final.
“Caf received a bid from the Senegalese Football Federation and from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to host the final of the Champions League 2022.
mahmoud maher“The Senegalese Football Federation subsequently withdrew their bid. Caf is, therefore, pleased to award the hosting of the Champions League final to Morocco. The date of the final is May 30, 2022.”
The winner between Al Ahly and Setif will meet the winner between Wydad AC of Morocco and Petro de Luanda of Angola in the final. Wydad are carrying a 3-1 advantage from their first leg ahead of the return meeting on May 13 at Mohammed V Stadium.
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