The Confederation of African Football (Confederation of African Football) has appointed Jean-Jacques Ndala to referee the first leg of the 2026 CAF Champions League final between FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns FC.
The opening leg will take place on May 17 in Pretoria, while Somali referee Omar Artan has been assigned to officiate the return leg scheduled for May 24 in Rabat.
Ndala’s appointment has attracted attention due to past controversy surrounding his handling of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, which was disrupted by a temporary player walk-off and a lengthy stoppage.
Although Senegal initially won the match on the pitch, Morocco were later awarded victory following a CAF appeals committee decision, an outcome that has continued to generate debate around the officiating.
Despite missing out on FIFA’s 2026 World Cup refereeing list amid scrutiny of that incident, CAF has still entrusted Ndala with the high-profile Champions League final as two of Africa’s top clubs compete for the continental title.
