
Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller has strongly criticised match officials following his side’s 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates in Cairo.
The result saw the South African side top Group C of the CAF Champions League.
Koller was particularly incensed by the disallowing of a late goal by defender Rami Rabia during added time. The referee, Babacar Sarr from Mauritania, ruled the goal offside, a decision Koller believes was incorrect.
The Swiss tactician also questioned why Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology is not utilised in the group stages of the competition.
“Al Ahly scored a valid goal that was disallowed by the referee for no clear reason. It is sad that we lost due to a refereeing error,” Kohler said in his post-match press conference.
“Why does CAF not use video technology in the group stage? The African Champions League is the biggest tournament at the competitive level on the continent.
“We apologise to the referees because they did not see all the refereeing cases clearly and it is important they are provided with assistance.
“CAF must reconsider the decision to exclude VAR from the group stage.”
Despite the defeat, both Al Ahly and Orlando Pirates had already secured their spots in the quarterfinals. However, Koller was concerned that such officiating could affect the integrity of future matches.
Koller, who has guided Al Ahly to the last two CAF Champions League titles, remains focused on the challenges ahead but urged CAF to reconsider its stance on VAR.