Anger simmers prior to second leg
Al Ahly of Egypt take a 3-1 lead over Esperance of Tunisia to the Caf Champions League final second leg tonight against a backdrop of a tarnished African club football image.
The first leg in Alexandria last weekend was marred by two controversial video assistant referee penalties for Ahly, with Walid Soliman converting both.
Furious Esperance players and coaches accused Ahly striker Walid Azaro (pictured) of diving to win the first spot-kick and of feigning injury and tearing his shirt for the second.
The Tunisians accused the Algerian referee of bias and the Egyptians of prematch dirty tricks, including delaying their arrival at the stadium and police harassment.
African governing body CAF banned Azaro for two matches, but rejected an Esperance plea for the first-leg yellow cards of Chamseddine Dhaouadi and Franck Kom to be cancelled.
The Champions League final drama came just a week after two CAF semi-finals matches also shamed African club football.
Esperance beat Angolan visitors Primeiro Agosto 4-2 in Rades to reach the final after 51 police and spectators were injured in clashes and 12 arrests made.
Spectators flung stones, police fired teargas and as smoke from flares drifted across the pitch, visibility became difficult for a period of the second half.
Primeiro coach Zoran Manojlovic said the situation was akin to a “horror movie”, but Caf took no action.
A day later, Al Masry of Egypt walked off the pitch to protest a goal scored by V 1966 Real Bamako (MLI) v Stade Abidjan (CIV) 3-1, 1-4 (Real lost 5-4 on aggregate) 1972 Hafia (GUI) v Simba (UGA) 4-2, 3-2 (Hafia won 7-4 on aggregate) 1973 Asante Kotoko (GHA) v V Club (COD) 4-2, 0-3 (Kotoko lost 5-4 on aggregate)
London
England captain Harry Kane has given his backing to the honouring of former skipper Wayne Rooney in an international friendly against the United States next week.
Rooney, a record goalscorer for both Manchester United and England, retired from international football in August 2017.
But the 33-year-old, now playing for Major League Soccer side DC United, is set to wear the Three Lions shirt one last time at Wembley on November 15.
“I think it’s great,” Kane said after scoring twice for Tottenham Hotspur against PSV Eindhoven at Wembley on Tuesday to keep the London club’s Champions League hopes alive.
Next week’s match will be called The Wayne Rooney Foundation International in support Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Confederation Cup in Kinshasa.
They claimed a goal that put the hosts three goals ahead was offside, but bigscreen replays proved that the Seychellois match officials made the correct call.
Masry returned to the pitch after five minutes and their action has also gone unpunished to date.
Esperance coach Moine Chaabani, promoted when Khaled Ben Yahia was fired after a first-leg loss to Primeiro, believes his team can recover and become African champions a third time.
“We can recover from 3-1 behind – there is still hope. A key issue is keeping my players focused on football with so much else going on,” he said.
At stake is €2.2 million for the winners with the runners-up getting half that amount. –
Wydad Casablanca (MAR) v Al Hilal (SUD) 2-0, 0-0 (Wydad won 2-0 on aggregate) 2003 Enyimba (NGR) v Ismaily (EGY) 2-0, 0-1 (Enyimba won 2-1 on aggregate) 2008 Al Ahly (EGY) v Coton Sport (CMR) 2-0, 2-2 (Ahly won 4-2 on aggregate) of the striker’s children’s charity, and England manager Gareth Southgate has named Rooney in the squad.
FA chiefs have faced accusations they are devaluing international football by recalling Rooney but Kane was in no doubt about having his predecessor involved one last time.
“It’s a really good thing that everyone should be a part of. Wayne is one of the greatest ever players to play for England, the greatest goalscorer to play for England, so why not give him the send-off he deserves?
“I’ve not spoken to Gareth (Southgate) too much about how he’s going to do it when we play but it’ll be great to see him again and I’m sure he’s looking forward to seeing a few of the boys.
“It’s a great experience for the younger players. So I think everyone should get right behind it, and it’ll be a good send-off.”
And Kane said he would have no problems handing over the captain’s armband to Rooney should the former skipper come off the bench.
“He deserves it. He was a great captain for us. He was captain when I got into the squad. So if he plays, of course he’ll be the captain,” said Kane.
Former Everton and United forward Rooney hit 53 goals in 119 England appearances. –