MAS Fes contacts CAF to protest against refereeing in match against ASEC Mimosas

MAS Fes have decided to contact the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to protest against the refereeing decisions in their match against ASEC Mimosas in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, which ended in a 1-1 draw last Sunday at the Stade Chérifien in Meknes.

According to press reports, this move comes as a protest against the officiating performance led by referee Mohamed Ali, after the Moroccan team felt that some of his decisions affected the course of the match, particularly in two instances where their players called for penalty kicks.

In the final minutes of the match, MAS Fes players protested against the referee's decisions as the team sought to maintain and enhance their lead ahead of the upcoming return leg in Abidjan on October 25.

MAS Fes opened the scoring through Nour Eddine Osama in the 32nd minute, before ASEC Mimosas managed to equalize with Bamba Souhalio during the third minute of added time, causing the home side to miss the chance to secure victory before traveling to Côte d'Ivoire.

Reactions to the refereeing decisions were not the only concern, as a number of MAS Fes fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the team's performance, considering that the match was within their reach, and that wasted chances and a lack of effectiveness in front of goal deprived them of achieving a comfortable victory that would have boosted their chances of qualification.

The draw has raised concerns among some fans regarding the return leg, where the team faces a tough away task. They will need to achieve a positive result to continue their journey in the continental competition.

It is worth mentioning that referee Mohamed Othmani officiated the match with the assistance of Souleymane Amaldin as the first assistant, and Mohamed Ali Hazem as the second assistant, while Mustafa Naouman Khalido took on the role of fourth official.