Africa’s top referee Bakary Papa Gassama from Gambia was abused by fans of Egyptian side Al-Ahly during and after Sunday’s fiery match against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundown.
Egyptian fans chanted abuse at the Gambian referee, referring to him as a slave at the end of the quarterfinal match.
The Egyptian outfit’s 1-nil second leg CAF Champions League win was not enough to overturn a 5-0 deficit from the first leg in South Africa and meant they have been eliminated from the competition.
Al-Ahly fans were apparently frustrated by the decisions of the Gambian referee which did not go down well with the hosts during their spirited performance against Sundowns who put up a defensive display to protect their control of the two-legged affair.
Gassama, a three-time African Referee of the Year, and the Confederation of African Football have not officially reacted to the supposed abuse.
WN/as/APA