Wydad Casablanca star Hakim Ziyech voiced strong frustration over the refereeing of his club’s 2-1 loss to Maniema Union of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in the CAF Confederation Cup.
The defeat marked Wydad’s first loss in continental competition this season and sparked widespread protests from the club over several controversial officiating decisions during the Group B match.
Ziyech reacted by posting a video on his Instagram story highlighting what he described as a major refereeing error. In the footage, the match referee initially shows a second yellow card to Maniema’s goalkeeper but does not follow it with a red card. After protests from Wydad players, the referee reversed the decision, claiming the booking was meant for a Maniema defender who was not involved in the incident.
“Welcome to Africa, where you show a second yellow card to the goalkeeper, then act as if it was given to the defender instead. This is the level of referees,” Ziyech wrote in the caption accompanying the video.
The match was played on what many observers described as a poor-quality pitch and at an unusual kickoff time of 1 p.m., further fueling criticism. The referee’s decisions intensified the controversy, once again drawing attention to recurring officiating and organizational issues in African club competitions.
Following the result, Maniema and Wydad are now level at the top of Group B with nine points each. Tanzania’s Azam FC sit third with three points, while Kenya’s Nairobi United remain bottom without a point.
Wydad will face Nairobi United away on Feb. 8 in the fifth round of group matches, in a key fixture as the Moroccan side looks to secure qualification for the knockout stage.
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