All Northern African officials confirmed for Rivers Utd CAFCL clash at Wydad

The officials that will take charge of the CAF Champions League playoff second-leg clash between Rivers United and Wydad AC have been confirmed.

Rivers United recorded a 2-1 win in the first leg played at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium last weekend and will be hoping to complete the job in Morocco.

Just like it was in the first leg where it was all Western African officials, this time it is all Northern officials.

Côte D’Ivoire officials were in charge of the first leg played in Nigeria; Ibrahim Kalilou Traore was the center referee, assisted by countrymen Adou Hermann Desiré N’goh and Nouho Ouattara as First and Second Assistant, respectively.

Bienvenu Sinko, an Ivorian as well, was the Fourth Official while Langtombong tombong Tamba, a Gambian national, was the Match Commissioner.

Meanwhile, Ozi Salami Abdulrahim Onimisi was the Covid-19 Officer as designated by CAF.

The Northern officials for the second leg are; Tunisia’s Sadok Selmi as the center referee, assisted by countrymen Aymen Selmi, and Khalil Hassan as the First and Second Assistants, respectively.

Amir Loucif, another Tunisian, will be the Fourth Official while Libya’s Gamal Salem will be the Match Commissioner.

Mehdi Marni will be the Covid-19 Officer as designated by CAF.

The match will be played at Stade Mohamed V (Casablanca) on Sunday at 9 pm Nigerian time

The aggregate winner will earn a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup, one step away from the Group stages.

As you will see, the first leg was handled by Western African officials, and the second by Northern African officials.

This is because CAF now picks referees from the region of play to handle matches because of travel and logistics.