"The CAF rejects the Army Club's appeal."

The referees committee of the Confederation of African Football rejected the objection submitted by the Royal Army Club regarding the appointment of Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ndala to officiate the first leg of the CAF Champions League final against Mamelodi Sundowns, affirming its commitment to the appointed officiating team for the upcoming match.

"Hesport" learned from a refereeing source that the CAF referees committee responded to the Moroccan team's correspondence, considering Ndala to be one of the top referees on the African scene, and that he enjoys the committee's trust given his experience in officiating major matches at the continental level.

The same source clarified that the committee also emphasized the competence of the Congolese referee's assistant team, confirming that it includes names classified among the best assistant referees in the African continent.

The Royal Army Club's management had sent a letter to CAF, expressing its reservations about Ndala's appointment, recalling the criticisms that accompanied his performance during the Africa Cup of Nations final between the Moroccan and Senegalese teams, in addition to his absence from the list of referees approved for the 2026 World Cup.

The Royal Army Club's management also raised observations in its correspondence regarding the method of appointing the officiating team for the first and second leg matches, considering that there is a lack of balance, as the first leg was assigned to a team of a single nationality, compared to a multinational team in the second leg.

The same source concluded by confirming that the CAF referees committee officially endorsed the appointment of Congolese referee Ndala to officiate the match, rejecting all requests related to his replacement.