2022 CAF Champions League final explained

2022 CAF Champions League Final
Event:2021–22 CAF Champions League
Team1:Al Ahly
Team1score:0
Team2:Wydad AC
Team2score:2
Stadium:Stade Mohammed V
City:Casablanca, Morocco
Man Of The Match1a:Zouhair El Moutaraji
(Wydad AC)[1]
Referee:Victor Gomes (South Africa)[2]
Attendance:45,000
Weather:Fair
15°C
64% humidity[3]
Previous:2021
Next:2023

The 2022 CAF Champions League Final was the final match of the 2021–22 CAF Champions League, the 58th season of Africa's premier club football tournament organised by CAF, and the 26th edition under the current CAF Champions League title. It was played at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, in Morocco on 30 May 2022.

Wydad AC won the match 2–0 to clinch their third Champions League title.[4]

As winners, they earned the right to play against the winners of the 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup, RS Berkane, in the 2022 CAF Super Cup.

When Morocco won the right to host 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, Al Ahly took Morocco's slot as Morocco's Wydad AC took CAF slot which was decided by this match.

Teams

In the following table, finals until 1996 were in the African Cup of Champions Club era, since 1997 were in the CAF Champions League era.

TeamZonePrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Al AhlyUNAF (North Africa)14 (1982, 1983, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021)
Wydad ACUNAF (North Africa)4 (1992, 2011, 2017, 2019)

Venue

For the third consecutive year, the final was played as a single match at a pre-selected venue by CAF instead of a two-legged fixtures format, which was being used in the CAF competitions since 1966.

On 12 April 2022, Royal Moroccan Football Federation submitted its bid to host the match,[5] while the Senegalese Football Federation bidding date is unknown.

CountryStadiumCityCapacityNotes
Stade Mohammed VCasablanca45,891Hosted matches at the 1988 African Cup of Nations, including the final and 2021 CAF Champions League Final
Diamniadio Olympic StadiumDakar50,000
On 9 May 2022, Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco was chosen by a CAF Executive Committee to host the final after the Senegalese Football Federation subsequently withdrew their bid.[6]

Road to the final

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Al AhlyRound Wydad AC
OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legQualifying roundsOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg
ByeFirst roundBye
USGN7–21–1 (A)6–1 (H)Second round Hearts of Oak6–20–1 (A)6–1 (H)
OpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult
Al Merrikh3–2 (H)Matchday 1 Sagrada Esperança3–0 (H)
Al Hilal0–0 (A)Matchday 2 Petro de Luanda1–2 (A)
Mamelodi Sundowns0–1 (H)Matchday 3 Zamalek3–1 (H)
Mamelodi Sundowns0–1 (A)Matchday 4 Zamalek1–0 (A)
Al Merrikh3–1 (A)Matchday 5 Sagrada Esperança2–1 (A)
Al Hilal1–0 (H)Matchday 6 Petro de Luanda5–1 (H)
Group A runners-upFinal standingsGroup D winners
OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnockout stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg
Raja Casablanca3–22–1 (H)1–1 (A)Quarter-finals CR Belouizdad1–01–0 (A)0–0 (H)
ES Sétif6–24–0 (H)2–2 (A)Semi-finals Petro de Luanda4–23–1 (A)1–1 (H)

Format

The final was played as a single match at a pre-selected venue, with the winner of semi-final 1 according to the knockout stage draw designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes. If scores were level after full time, extra time was played and if it was still level, the winners were decided by a penalty shoot-out (Regulations Article III. 28).[7]

Match

Details

width=25!width=25
GK 1
RB 30
CB 6
CB 12
LB 21
RM 27
CM 15
CM 8
LM 14
CF 23
CF 35
Substitutes:
DF 5
FW 10
MF 11
GK 16
MF 17
FW 18
MF 19
DF 20
DF 28
Manager:
Pitso Mosimane
width=25!width=25
GK 26
RB 22
CB 3
CB 25
LB 14
DM 15
DM 5
CM 19
RF 10
CF 9
LF 7
Substitutes:
MF 6
MF 13
FW 16
FW 17
GK 27
DF 29
MF 31
FW 37
FW 40
Manager:
Walid Regragui
Man of the Match:
Zouhair El Moutaraji (Wydad AC)

Assistant referees


Zakhele Siwela (South Africa)
Souru Phatsoane (Lesotho)
Fourth official


Hélder Martins de Carvalho (Angola)
Video assistant referee


Bamlak Tessema Weyesa (Ethiopia)
Assistant video assistant referees


Mohammed Abdallah Ibrahim (Sudan)
Haythem Guirat (Tunisia)

Match rules[8]
  • 90 minutes.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores level.
  • Nine named substitutes, of which up to five may be used.

Statistics

First half[9]
StatisticAl AhlyWydad AC
scope=rowGoals scored01
scope=rowTotal shots56
scope=rowShots on target01
scope=rowSaves00
scope=rowBall possession68%32%
scope=rowCorner kicks31
scope=rowYellow cards01
scope=rowRed cards00
Second half
StatisticAl AhlyWydad AC
scope=rowGoals scored01
scope=rowTotal shots95
scope=rowShots on target22
scope=rowSaves12
scope=rowBall possession64%36%
scope=rowCorner kicks03
scope=rowYellow cards10
scope=rowRed cards10
Overall
StatisticAl AhlyWydad AC
scope=rowGoals scored02
scope=rowTotal shots1411
scope=rowShots on target23
scope=rowSaves12
scope=rowBall possession66%34%
scope=rowCorner kicks34
scope=rowYellow cards11
scope=rowRed cards10

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 1531596569895747584. CAFCLCC. Zouheir El Moutaraji couldn't have had any better performance vs. Al Ahly SC in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCL final . 31 May 2022. 13 June 2022.
  2. Web site: 2022-05-21 . فيكتور جوميز حكما لنهائي إفريقيا بين الأهلي والوداد . Victor Gomes to referee the African final between Al Ahly and Wydad . 2022-06-14 . FilGoal.com . ar.
  3. Web site: Weather History for Casablanca, Casablanca-Settat, Morocco . . . 30 May 2022 . 14 June 2022.
  4. Web site: El Moutaraji double delivers third TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title to Wydad . 2022-06-13 . CAFOnline.com . en.
  5. Web site: اجتماع المكتب المديري للجامعة الملكية المغربية لكرة القدم – الثلاثاء 12 أبريل 2022 – FRMF . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413232746/https://frmf.ma/اجتماع-المكتب-المديري-للجامعة-الملكي-14/ . 13 April 2022 . 2022-05-14 . FRMF.ma . . ar.
  6. Web site: Morocco to host TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022 Final . CAF website . 9 May 2022.
  7. Web site: CAF Champions League regulations . CAF .
  8. Web site: CAF Champions League regulations . CAF.
  9. Web site: 30 May 2022 . Team statistics . 14 June 2022 . sofascore.com . SofaScore.