Menzi Magubane
A disappointed Pitso Mosimane took to Twitter following the announcement that the CAF Champions League final will take place in Morocco for the second year in a row on 30 May.
Speculation that South Africa would be named as the destination had grown in recent weeks and the Al Ahly coach, along with thousands of South African football fans, was upset to learn that the rumours were untrue.
“After the completion of the CAF Champions League group stages, the rumours were that SA was hosting,” Mosimane said.
“Then after the first leg of the semi-finals, suddenly Morocco is hosting.”
Mosimane went on to argue that South Africa makes much more sense as a venue than Morocco, as a Moroccan team, Wydad Casablanca, already have one foot in the final.
“My only thing is, there must be a neutral venue of course,” said Mosimane.
The Champions League finalists will be decided this weekend in the semi-finals final leg. Ahly have a 4-0 lead after beating ES Setif of Algeria away in the first leg, while Moroccan champions Wydad defeated Petro de Luanda 3-1 in Angola last weekend.
What worries Mosimane is that should Wydad progress to the final, they will have a distinct home advantage.
The Krugersdorp-born coach is on the verge of African football history, as he is poised to lead the club to a third successive Champions League title, something no coach has achieved before.
The Red Devils team conquered with their coach and they revealed that they have written to CAF.
The letter to CAF president Patrice Motsepe highlighted that the final should not be hosted by one of the home nations of the four teams still competing in the competition’s semi-finals.
