In a recent statement to Radio Mars, Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed expressed his frustration after being excluded from officiating the match between Étoile du Sahel and Espérance de Tunis during the fifth round of the group stage in the Champions League.
Having officiated in no less than 180 matches in this competition throughout his career, Jiyed shared the reasons for his exclusion, which were related to a disagreement with the Referees Commission of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) during the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
According to the referee's statements, his decision not to officiate the third-place match at the AFCON in Côte d'Ivoire was misinterpreted. Jiyed explained that having already officiated at this stage in the previous edition, he politely declined to referee the third-place match. He was supposed to be the favorite to officiate the final between Cameroon and Nigeria, a regional classic, but he was overlooked without explanation. Faced with this lack of clarification, Jiyed decided not to attend the third-place match.
This decision reportedly had consequences on his career, with the Ethiopian Bamlak Tessema replacing him in the AFCON's third-place playoff. The Moroccan referee emphasized that there was no rebellion on his part but rather a polite refusal based on logical reasons.
Regarding his exclusion from the match between Espérance de Tunis and Étoile du Sahel, Jiyed stated that he was informed that this decision was not a punishment but rather an assessment by the committee regarding his mental state, deemed unstable after the AFCON incident. The referee mentioned experiencing great sorrow and frustration in Côte d'Ivoire, even fearing that this situation might jeopardize the participation of Moroccan referees in the World Cup, citing strange and incomprehensible appointments.
Redouane Jiyed's situation underscores the complex and sometimes opaque issues in the world of refereeing in African football. Hopefully, the CAF Referees Committee will clarify this matter and not unfairly penalize the Moroccan referee for future opportunities.
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