Africa Cup Nations final referees Victor Gomes, Zakhele Siwela and Jelly Chavani have been appointed by CAF to handle some of the big matches in the CAF Champions League second preliminary rounds this coming weekend.
Gomes, who along with Siwela became the first SA officials to handle the AFCON final earlier this year, will be in charge of the first leg when Ferroviário Da Beira of Mozambique host Club Sportif Diables Noirs of Congo at Estadio Nacional do Zimpeto in Maputo on Saturday.
Chavani will be the fourth official, while Lesotho’s Souru Phatsane will be second assistant in that match. Phatsane was also an assistantl in the AFCON final in Cameroon between Senegal and Egypt in February.
Five days later, all four of them will head to DR Congo where TP Mazembe will host Vipers SC of Uganda in the second leg of the second preliminary round qualification for the Champions League. Again, Gomes will be the referee, Zakhele and Phatsane assistants, while Chavani will be fourth official.
The first leg of these two sides will take place this coming Sunday at St Mary’s Stadium in Kitenge.
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Gomes is one of the most respected match referees on the continent and the world. He officiated the CAF Champions League final in May, where Wydad Casablanca of Morocco beat Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly 2-0 in the final in Morocco. Siwela and Phatsane were assistant referees in that match.
Other big matches on the continent Gomes has been in charge of are the CAF Confederation Cup final in the 2017/18 and 2020/21 seasons, plus the CAF Super Cup in the 2019/20 season. He, Siwela and Phatsane will also form part of the FIFA World Cup in November and December in Qatar.
Meanwhile, with the resumption of the Champions League preliminary rounds, it means Mamelodi Sundowns are also starting the journey.
Unlike the SA officials, Sundowns have received a huge boost as they will not fly out of the country. Seychelles side La Passe have opted to play their home leg in South Africa and iDiski Times has learnt that the game will take place at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.
La Passe received an easy passage going to the second round after Volcan Club de Moroni from Comoros did not turn up for the the second leg of their first preliminary round tie. This is despite de Moroni having won the first leg 1-0 at home.
Story by Robin-Duke Madlala (@duke_robin).
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