This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
On July 17, 2019, African football boss Ahmad Ahmad made a significant announcement that will change the face of Caf club competitions. From next season, the Champions League and Confederation Cup finals will be played as single matches at a neutral venue.
According to Ahmad, who made the announcement on Twitter, the decision is aimed at streamlining the competitions. However, the move has been met with skepticism, with some questioning the potential impact on crowd attendance.
The decision to reduce the finals to a single match comes after a recent controversy involving Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco. The two teams were involved in a disputed final, with Wydad refusing to continue playing in Tunisia due to a malfunctioning VAR system.
As a result, Caf ordered a replay at a neutral venue, a decision that has been appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) by both teams. The move has raised concerns about the potential for low crowd attendance, with some fearing that the change could result in the club season showpieces being watched by tiny crowds.
Interestingly, the use of neutral venues for the finals is not a new concept. When the Caf Super Cup was introduced in 1993, it was played at a neutral venue, but the format was eventually ditched due to low crowd attendance.
Meanwhile, Ahmad also announced that the number of qualifiers for the biennial Africa Women's Cup of Nations will increase from eight to 12 for the 2020 tournament.
