CAF postpones Super Cup clash between Zamalek and Esperance indefinitely

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decisively moved to indefinitely postpone the Super Cup match between Esperance and Zamalek of Egypt because of the late decision to award the Tunisian side the Champions League trophy.

Esperance were finally named winners of Champions League on Wednesday by the CAF disciplinary committee as opponents Wydad Casablanca were declared guilty of abandoning the second leg of the final in May.

The decision means Esperance will now play Zamalek, the winners of the continental second tier club competition CAF Confederation Cup, for the Super Cup.

The Super Cup match was originally scheduled to take place on the weekend of 16, 17 or 18 of August.

But with Zamalek starting their Champions League campaign from Sunday against their Somali counterpart Decadaha and the second-leg scheduled for 22 August, just four days after the Super Cup game, CAF has decided to postpone the game.

A new date for the match and the venue will be communicated in the coming days.

Esperance were declared winner of the African Champions League on Wednesday after their protracted legal battle following Wydad Casablanca's decision to abandon the second leg of the final.

Both clubs had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which last week found that the CAF executive committee’s decision was wrong and ordered the case to be heard by CAF’s disciplinary committee.

The teams had drawn 1-1 in the first leg of the final in Casablanca and Esperance were 1-0 up in the return match when Wydad netted what they thought was a 59th-minute equaliser.

The referee ruled it out for offside, however, and turned down animated appeals from the Wydad players to consult the VAR because the system was not working.

Wydad refused to play on and the argument continued on the pitch between the teams and officials for some two hours before the game was called off and Esperance were awarded the trophy.

Five days later, CAF’s executive committee said the second leg must be replayed on neutral territory.

Esperance appealed to CAS to be reinstated as champions after Wydad’s walk-off, while the Moroccans argued they should be declared winners or that both legs of the final be annulled and a single replay ordered.

CAS rejected Wydad’s argument, but said the question of whether the match would be replayed would need to be considered by the appropriate CAF body — the disciplinary committee.

Esperance will now play in the Club World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.

They are also only the third club to retain the continent’s top club prize, having won it in 2018.

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