Why Did CAF Appoint AFCON Final Referee to Officiate Champions League First Leg Between AS FAR and Sundowns?

The Confederation of African Football's (CAF) appointment of Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala to officiate the first leg of the CAF Champions League final between South African club Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR has sparked widespread controversy in football circles.

This controversy stems from the criticism that accompanied the referee's performance in the last Africa Cup of Nations final, which drew significant dissatisfaction at the time. This has led to renewed questions regarding CAF's decision to entrust him with another match of such importance.

Questions are also being raised about the criteria CAF used to reappoint the Congolese referee to officiate this continental final, especially after the events of the AFCON final deprived the Moroccan national team of the title.

Furthermore, this appointment raises additional questions, particularly following his exclusion from the final list of referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This has opened discussions about his current readiness to manage a continental final of this magnitude.

Al-Botola website had revealed that the officiating team, alongside Ndala, will include Joelian Ngila as the first assistant, Gradil Munia as the second assistant, and Jesse Muisie as the fourth official. All are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The match is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 17, instead of Friday, May 15, at 3:00 PM Moroccan time, according to Al-Botola.