Rabat – Egyptian football club Al Ahly has voiced its opposition against Morocco hosting the 2022 African Champions League final. Despite the event being less than a month away, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is facing criticism for still not having announced the location for the tournament’s conclusion.
Scheduled for May 29, the African Champions League final is likely to feature Egypt’s Al Ahly against Morocco’s Wydad AC, with both teams facing semi-final matches they intend to win. Al Ahly faces Algeria’s ES Setifienne, while Wydad plays Angolan champions Atlético Petróleos de Luanda.
With both the Cairo-based Al Ahly and Casablanca’s Wydad Athletic Club facing a potential clash in the league’s final, the Egyptian club appears to be wary of playing a nervy final in Morocco against a Moroccan team.
Al Ahly expressed its displeasure with the delay in the announcement of the final’s location in a letter to the CAF, calling on the organization to find a “neutral” location for an eventual clash between the Moroccan and Egyptian giants.
Scandal has somewhat mired the latter stages of this year’s African Champions League. A disputed early penalty in an April 16 match between Al Ahly and Casablanca-based Raja ignited public outrage, with many football fans accusing the referee of foul play.
Yet, even in the Moroccan metropolis of Casablanca itself, many doubt whether the city is prepared to host the cup final. Local city-wide sports organization Casablanca Events has faced severe pushback for what is seen as the amateurism with which local events are organized.
Casa Events’ controversial decisions pushed fans of two rival football teams toward the same ticket offices, a potentially risky move that few football-experts would recommend.
Instead of online sales, the organization opted for physical ticket sales at a limited number of locations, asking rival fans to visit the same offices to purchase tickets.
Local authorities in the end intervened, preventing a possible clash between rival hooligans, yet few fans in Casablanca appear to feel confident that Casa Events has learned its lesson and is ready to host sporting events in a professional manner.
