Jean-Jacques Ndala once again finds himself at the center of criticism. Designated to officiate in the first leg of the CAF CL final, the African Champions League between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns, the Congolese referee faces a new controversy.
Already controversial for his direction of the final of the last African Cup of Nations, he had been at the heart of a tense scenario involving Senegal and Morocco, with several refereeing decisions hotly contested, notably the canceled goal of the Téranga Lions and the penalty whistled for the Atlas Lions.
A VAR breakdown
This time, the meeting was disrupted by a major incident: a breakdown of the VAR video assistance system in the first half while the South Africans were leading. After an interruption and long discussions, the referee finally decided to resume the match without the use of technology, despite the reservations of AS FAR.
The Moroccan club initially refused to resume the game under these conditions, causing a suspension of around twenty minutes. The match then resumed without VAR, before swinging in favor of Sundowns, now in a favorable position in this final first leg and before the return match.
