Coach Pitso Mosimane has praised South African referee Victor Gomes who will take charge of the Caf Champions League final game between his Al Ahly side and Wydad Casablanca.
The African giants will lock horns on May 30 – at Casablanca’s home turf, the Mohamed V Stadium – and Mosimane has lauded his fellow countryman ahead of the crucial game.
"How I used to criticise Victor Gomes, ate my humble pie long time back, and I am his biggest fan and he knows that," Mosimane Tweeted. "I give him the respect that he deserves and he is currently the number one referee on the continent."
The former Bafana Bafana coach – who won the Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2016 before doing so in two consecutive seasons with Al Ahly in the last two seasons – said he was convinced Gomes is a top official after watching the semi-final game between Casablanca and Petro Luanda of Angola.
"Just finished watching the Wydad vs A Petro Luanda," added the Premier Soccer League-winning coach.
"The manner in which he managed the game, players, and the dugouts. Just like he managed Senegal vs Egypt [in the Africa Cup of Nations final in Cameroon in February]."
Although Al Ahly raised their issues with the choice of the Mohamed V Stadium as the venue for the ultimate showdown, the Egyptian giants vowed ‘the club will play the Caf Champions League final no matter where the game is held, guided by the club's values and traditions’.
However, they later demanded that VAR referees be sourced from Europe as they laid new demands ahead of the Monday duel. The Red Devils argued that since the winner of the game will represent Africa in the Fifa Club World Cup, there is a need to have referees from outside the continent.
They also stated Caf should not consider any referees who committed controversial mistakes and caused problems in any of the previous Caf competitions, for the final.
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