CAF names Moroccan referee for Yanga against Al Hilal clash

Dar es Salaam.  The African football governing body (CAF) has appointed Moroccan referee Samir Guezzaz to officiate the CAF Champions’ League Group A opener between Young Africans (Yanga) and Sudan’s Al Hilal Omdurman, scheduled for tomorrow at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

The match is set to kick off at 4pm. According to CAF records, this will be Guezzaz’s second time officiating a CAF Champions League match.

His first was on August 17 this year, when Stade d’Abidjan of Cote d’Ivoire Coast faced Senegal's Teungueth FC, a game that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Guezzaz also officiated a CAF Confederation Cup match on September 22 between Egypt's El Masry and Libya's El Hilal Benghazi, which was decided by penalties, with El Masry emerging victorious 5-3.

 Notably, in his Champions League debut, Guezzaz did not issue any bookings, whereas in the Confederation Cup match, he handed out six yellow cards. Domestically, Guezzaz has officiated one match in Morocco's Botola Pro this season.

Teams aim for positive results

Preparations are in full swing as both teams target a strong start in the group stage. Yanga enter the match buoyed by a dominant 7-0 aggregate victory over Ethiopia’s Nigd Bank in the second preliminary round.

After securing a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg, Yanga triumphed 6-0 in the return leg at home. Al Hilal Omdurman also arrive in good form, having beaten San-Pédro of Ivory Coast 3-2 on aggregate in their second preliminary round. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, they claimed a 1-0 win in the return leg at home.

Al Hilal Omdurman are currently undefeated in their last four matches across all competitions.

Historically, Al Hilal Omdurman won the last meeting between the two sides, a 1-0 victory in a CAF Champions League second preliminary round clash at Al-Hilal Stadium in October 2022.

Confident Ramovic

Yanga’s newly appointed head coach, Sead Ramovic, expressed confidence in his team ahead of the encounter.

Ramovic, who replaced Argentine tactician Miguel Gamondi, said that his players are in high spirits and fully prepared to face the Sudanese giants.

Read: Yanga appoints German coach Sead Ramovic as replacement for Miguel Gamondi

“I’ve only been with the team for almost eight days, but I am impressed by the players’ standards. I know we’re playing against a strong opponent, but our mission and vision are clear—to give our best,” said Ramovic.

Both teams will be looking to make a strong start in the group stage and set the tone for their CAF Champions League campaign.