No-nonsense referee to officiate Yanga-MC Alger decisive clash
What you need to know:
- The stakes could not be higher for both teams. Yanga, currently third in Group A with seven points, must win to secure a spot in the knockout stage alongside Al Hilal of Sudan
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania football giants, Young Africans (Yanga), and MC Alger of Algeria will need to exhibit utmost discipline in their crucial final group stage match.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed a no-nonsense referee from Mauritania, Patrice Milazar, to officiate the highly anticipated encounter.
Milazar will be assisted by James Fredrick Emile from Seychelles and Jean Marc Durou, also from Mauritania.
The decisive Group A clash is scheduled to kick off at 4pm East African time at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
The stakes could not be higher for both teams. Yanga, currently third in Group A with seven points, must win to secure a spot in the knockout stage alongside Al Hilal of Sudan, who have already qualified.
MC Alger, sitting second with eight points, only need a draw to advance to the quarterfinals. CAF’s decision to appoint Milazar for this high-pressure match underscores the importance of maintaining order and discipline.
Milazar is no stranger to Group A, as he previously officiated the opening match between TP Mazembe and MC Alger at the Stade de TP Mazembe in Lubumbashi.
In that game, he flashed three yellow cards to MC Alger players Ayoub Abdellaoui and Zakaria Draoui for dissent, while Abdelatif Ramdane for time-wasting. Milazar’s strict approach extends beyond the CAF Champions League.
His officiating record includes two Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in which he displayed his penchant for discipline.
During the October 10, 2024 match between Ghana and Sudan, he issued three yellow cards. In another Afcon qualifier between Libya and Benin, Milazar booked a total of nine players for various fouls, demonstrating his low tolerance for misconduct on the pitch.
As the decisive match approaches, both Yanga and MC Alger will be acutely aware of Milazar’s reputation. The players must exercise caution to avoid unnecessary bookings that could impact the results of the game.
