Patrick Juillard, Media365 : published on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Designated to referee the first leg of the African Champions League final between Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR, Congolese Jean-Jacques Ndala, who officiated the final of the last CAN, is contested by the Moroccan club.
The CAF would have liked to generate buzz around the African Champions League final between AS FAR and Mamelodi Sundowns than the organization actually did, by choosing Jean-Jacques Ndala to officiate the first leg on Sunday, May 17 in Pretoria. Following his involvement in the controversial 2025 CAN final, the African Football Confederation has stirred up social media and beyond. Blamed since the fateful match on January 18 in Rabat, emblematic of outdated refereeing due to events, the Congolese referee is now contested by the Moroccan finalist.
CAF tackles a new case
According to information from the local media Le 360, the Royal Armed Forces club has raised concerns about his appointment with the CAF. In an official letter, the team from the capital laments, among other things, the imbalance in the composition of the refereeing trios between the two legs, with mostly referees of the same nationality as Ndala in the first leg (also excluded from the African referees chosen for the 2026 World Cup), against a much more diverse staff in the return leg, scheduled for May 24 in Rabat.
M. Ndala under scrutiny
But AS FAR mainly emphasizes M. Ndala’s recent “record,” namely his management of the 2025 CAN final. In line with Morocco’s appeal to the CAF, the military denounce his failure to apply the regulations on that day. Such reasoning had led the Appeals Jury to declare Morocco the winner by forfeit under articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations. Arbitrated by Senegal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport will have to decide. Meanwhile, the CAF has found itself in a tricky situation. Especially since, according to Sport News Africa, the appointment of Jean-Jacques Ndala is also contested by Mamelodi Sundowns.
