The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Thursday that Algerian Mustapha Ghorbal will be officiating the African Champions League final between Ahly and Zamalek that will take place at Cairo stadium on Friday.

The 35-year-old witnessed Zamalek’s qualification for the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Tunisian giants Esperance, as he was the referee in the second leg between the two sides in the quarterfinals in Tunisia last February.

During the game he awarded an early penalty for hosts Esperance, who won the game 1-0, but the result was not sufficient for them to advance into the semifinals, as Zamalek went through with a 3-2 win on aggregate.

Ghorbal, who started his international career in 2014, was present in the continent's major competitions as well as the FIFA Club World Cup in 2019.

He has officiated 158 games since starting his refereeing career in 2011.

Ahly are bidding for their ninth Champions League trophy while Zamalek are eyeing their sixth title, their first since 2002.

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