CAF throw out protest by Esperance over final defeat

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have thrown out a protest by Esperance of Tunisia after their defeat in the African Champions League final. But it deferred a decision on possible action against two of the Tunisian club's players involved in bizarre incidents in last month's defeat by Hearts of Oak of Ghana.

Esperance protested to CAF after rioting held up the second leg of the final in Accra for 18 minutes last month. CAF announced on Thursday that its inter-club committee had confirmed the result after studying various reports.

Hearts won the second leg 3-1 in Accra for a 5-2 aggregate triumph. The decision confirms their status as continental champions but CAF said there was a chance the Ghanaian team would lose the right to host next month's African Super Cup. A decision on whether the game against African Cup Winners' Cup victors Zamalek goes ahead in Accra on February 11 will be made by the weekend, CAF said.

A decision on the apparent attempt by Esperance goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer to fake a serious injury to get the Champions League final abandoned was held over until CAF's executive committee meets next month.

Esperance claimed he had been hit by a sharp object thrown from the crowd but El Ouaer was alleged to have inflicted a cut on himself by hitting the side of his head with a sharp object. His team mate, Brazilian-born Reinaldo Aleluia, was also reported for two attacks on South African referee Robin Williams who had to be rescued by police at the end of the game.