African Champions League Final Replay Ordered Over VAR Controversy

The second leg of the African Champions League final will be replayed after a VAR issue led to Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca walking off in protest and Tunisian side Esperance was awarded the victory.

PARIS (AP) – The second leg of the African Champions League final will be replayed after a VAR issue led to Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca walking off in protest and Tunisian side Esperance was awarded the victory.

Wydad refused to continue playing because their equalizing goal with around 30 minutes remaining in the second leg was disallowed for offside and no video replay was available. The players had not been told the video system wasn't working.

A SCANDAL IN RADES! MATCH INTERRUPTED AFTER A LEGITIMATE GOAL FOR WYDAD CASABLANCA DENIED BY THE REFEREE. THE REFEREE REFUSED TO CHECK VAR TECHNOLOGY WHILE WYDAD PLAYERS REFUSE TO CONTINUE TO THE GAME. APPARENTLY VAR IS NOT WORKING.@FIFAcom @CAF_Online @SkySport pic.twitter.com/2g9y16Gy1J

— BADR 🇲🇦 (@badr_moukhliss) May 31, 2019

After a long delay, Esperance was awarded the Champions League title. But that outcome was overturned by the Confederation of African Football executive committee on Wednesday at a meeting in Paris, with the conduct of Esperance denounced.

Fans of Tunisia’s Esperance and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca descend on hotel in Paris where Africa’s football governing body is meeting. Chanting against corruption after last week’s Champions League final was abandoned over a VAR snafu. Esperance were awarded title. pic.twitter.com/8uzZWfgjiu

— tariq panja (@tariqpanja) June 4, 2019

At the Fifa congress in Paris, fans of Esperance Tunis, who were awarded the African Champions League after Wydad Casablanca walked off because VAR wasn’t working, hold a protest against plans to make the club replay the final. pic.twitter.com/ttD5OuSjaF

— David Conn (@david_conn) June 4, 2019

The game will not be replayed until after the African Cup of Nations finishes on July 19.

The first leg in Morocco ended in a 1-1 draw and Esperance was leading 1-0 in the second when the controversy erupted in the second leg.