Tunisian club wins African title after VAR abandoned final



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The Tunisians led 1-0 in the second leg and 2-1 overall when the game was interrupted. After 90 minutes, the referee granted the match to the host club.

Tunisian media reported that officials knew before the match that the VAR (video badistant referee) was not working.

This is the first time in 55 years of the history of the African Elite Club competition that a match in the final back and forth has not been completed.

Wydad thought he had stabilized in the 59th minute when Walid el Karti had centered the ball in the net. The television broadcasts confirmed that he was on his side, but that he might have walked an opponent.

The Moroccan team insisted that the Gambian referee check with VAR, apparently oblivious to the fact that the system, often controversial, was not available.

At one point, CAF President Ahmad Ahmad and the bosses of Esperance and Wydad spoke to the side of the pitch without having to restart the match.

The Wydad players and coaches finally made their way to the locker room and, after a long delay, the referee indicated that the match had been awarded to Esperance.

Esperance, looking for consecutive titles, took the lead 41 minutes when Youcef Belaili scored a shot in the net of the center of the Olympic Stadium.

The Tunisian team dominated the first half and deserved to lead at half-time in the 60,000-seat stadium.

Last weekend, VAR played a major role in the first leg in Morocco. Wydad then recommended a referral to the goalkeeper before resorting to a penalty.

The Egyptian referee of this match was subsequently banned for six months. CAF said it gave a "bad performance".

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