CAF Champions League
CAF HAMMER FALLS ON EGYPTIAN REFEREE OF NIGERIA VS ZAMBIA & CAMEROON CLASHES
BY KUNLE SOLAJA
Gehad Grisha, an experienced Egyptian football referee who refereed the Nigeria 4-0 mauling of Cameroon two years ago has been slammed with a suspension.
He also
officiated the in the Nigeria-Zambia Afcon match which controversially ended
1-1 after Grisha awarded a penalty kick to Zambia.
The hammer has fallen on the referee for his performance in the CAF Champions League final match involving Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club and Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis at the weekend.
According to a press release by CAF, “the referees committee of the Confederattion Africain de Football has decided to suspend Mr. Gehad Grisha for a period of six months due to poor performance.”
The match ended 1-1. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed a complaint to CAF against the referee.
Fousseny Coulibaly put the visitors into a 44th-minute lead, before they gave it up after Cheick Ibrahim Comara’s late equaliser in the 79th minute.
In a game full of incessant fouling and bickering, Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha was forced to dish out four yellow cards in just the opening 45 minutes.
The 43-year-old referee also went to the VAR twice, the first time to rule out a goal for the hosts due to a handball in the build-up to the goal, before not awarding Wydad a penalty in the 57th minute after consulting the VAR.
A red card was also shown to Wydad’s midfielder Brahim Nakach after picking up two yellow cards in only five minutes.
This led the Moroccan giants to lodge a complaint to CAF against the Egyptian referee because of his poor decision making, highlighting his actions in the two
Grisha, a well-known face in Nigeria, officiated the 5-1 defeat of Rwanda’s Rayon Sports by Enyimba last year. He also officiated at the Russia 2018 World Cup. He took charge of the England 6-1 defeat of Panama.
He was the referee that awarded a controversial penalty kick against Nigeria in the 1-1 draw of a Group C Afcon 2013 duel at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently dispatched a strongly-warded protest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which ostensibly ruled in favour of the NFF and Grisha was sent home from the Afcon five years ago.
Egypt’s Pyramids claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa. This led to a 3-2 aggregate success. They celebrated their first African Champions League title. This triumph occurred following the second leg of this year’s final at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Sunday.
The first leg in Pretoria finished 1-1. Fiston Mayele gave Pyramids the lead on 23 minutes. He profited from a Sundowns defensive error. Ahmed Samy doubled the advantage on 56 minutes. He scored with a header from a free-kick.
Sundowns pulled a goal back through Iqraam Rayners with 15 minutes remaining. One more goal would have given them victory in the tie on the away goals rule. However, Pyramids held firm despite heavy pressure from the visitors.
Pyramids are the fourth Egyptian side to lift the Champions League trophy after record 12-time winners Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Ismaily. Meanwhile, 2016 champions Sundowns head to this month’s Club World Cup in the United States on a low note.
-Reuters
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- 1. Pyramids aim to become the first new CAF Champions League winner since Sundowns (2016), the 13th in the modern era, and the 27th overall.
- 2. This is the 19th Champions League-era final featuring an Egyptian club. Previous teams (Al Ahly 10, Zamalek 1) have won 11 titles.
- 3. Including the pre-Champions League era, this is the 29th final for an Egyptian club, with 18 wins and 10 losses.
- 4. Pyramids have played only 1 of their last 9 matches at home but are unbeaten in their last 23 home games this season (W19 D4) and last 28 overall (W24 D4).
- 5. Pyramids scored in 22 of 23 home games this season; the only blank was a 0-0 draw vs Al Masry.
- 6.This season, they’ve won all 7 home matches, scoring 26 and conceding 6, with one clean sheet. In total, they’ve lost just 1 of 11 home matches in the competition.
- 7. Fiston Mayele leads with 8 goals in 12 matches (5 since group stage); Ibrahim Adel has 6 (also 5 post-group stage).
- 8. Ramadan Sobhi has 5 assists in 9 games (joint-most), plus 2 goals. He’s had major impact off the bench twice.
- 9. Askary Chibi has created 20 chances since the group stage — the most for Pyramids.
- 10. Pyramids have kept 3 clean sheets this season, all away, but remain dominant at home
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- 1. Sundowns are in their third CAF Champions League final (2001, 2016, 2024).
- 2. South African Record: First South African club to reach three finals, surpassing Orlando Pirates (2).
- 3. Sundowns hosted the first leg in all three finals. In 2001, they drew 1-1 at home and lost 2-0 away to Al Ahly.
- 4. Sundowns beat Zamalek 3-0 at home, lost 1-0 away, and won 3-1 on aggregate.
- 5. Sundowns have never scored in an away leg of a Champions League final, conceding five in total.
- 6. The current final marks the second time Sundowns led at home and failed to win (also in 2001).
- 7. A defeat would make Sundowns the first South African side to lose two finals.
- 8. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 10 matches vs Egyptian opposition (4wins and 6 draws).
- 9. Sundowns are unbeaten in their last 4 visits to Egypt (2 wins and 2 draws).
- 10. A win would make Sundowns the first team since Al Ahly (2012) to win the title after failing to win the home leg.
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