Al Hilal give CAF final deadline over Berkane clash, threaten CAS escalation

Al Hilal Omdurman have issued a final ultimatum to the Confederation of African Football, warning of imminent legal escalation over their controversial tie against RS Berkane in the CAF Champions League.

The Sudanese club had previously submitted three official complaints to CAF regarding the match, in which Berkane secured qualification to the semi-finals after a dramatic 1-0 win in the second leg, following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Morocco.

Al Hilal Omdurman had officially accused RS Berkane of fielding a player who should have been suspended during their CAF Champions League quarter-final tie.

In an official statement, Al Hilal confirmed that their lawyer had sent a formal letter on Thursday afternoon to CAF’s Disciplinary Committee, with copies addressed to several CAF officials and the Sudan Football Association. The letter highlighted that the deadline previously set for a response had expired without any reply.

Al Hilal detailed a series of unanswered communications, including an initial complaint filed on March 23, a request to be recognized as an interested party on the same day, a reminder on March 29, and an additional submission on March 30—all met with silence from CAF.

The club has demanded urgent interim measures to prevent RS Berkane from participating in any competitions organized by CAF or the FIFA until the case is resolved.

According to the statement, the 48-hour deadline given in their last correspondence expired on April 1, with CAF remaining unresponsive for 11 consecutive days despite multiple official approaches.

Al Hilal have now granted a final deadline until the end of April 3 for CAF to issue a comprehensive response. The club warned that failure to comply will result in immediate escalation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, backed by more than 13 supporting documents.

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.