BOTTLES and punches were thrown at a match official in Morocco as a melee broke out following a heated CAF Confederation Cup semi-final.
Berkane beat Tunisian side CS Sfaxien to reach the final, but their celebrations were overshadowed by an astonishing on-pitch bust-up after the final whistle.
Tempers flared as the match officials made their way off the field only to be surrounded by angry players and supporters, a video shared on Reddit shows.
The official had to be escorted off the pitch by stewards, but it was only as they approached the tunnel that violence broke out.
Bottles can be seen thrown towards the tunnel as the official leaves the field before multiple punches are thrown on the touchline.
Referee Maguette Ndiaye was forced to deny he had been caught up in the incident.
“I was not beaten up,” Ndiaye told Les Echos. “It should be noted that it is not me who appears in the video circulating on the internet and on social networks.
“Nobody attacked me, it’s my second assistant who was assaulted.”
The Tunisian outfit had led 2-0 from the first leg played last week, but Berkane responded strongly in front of their own fans.
Togo frontman Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba halved the deficit from the penalty spot after eight minutes, before Omar Nemssaoui levelled the tie nine minutes later.
On the half-hour mark Burkina Faso defender Issoufou Dayo netted Berkane’s third to put them ahead on aggregate. – MailOnline
