Gambian referee Bakary Papa Gassama has been named by the Confederation of African Football as the referee to officiate Group D’s Caf Champions League match between Al Ahly and Zanaco.
Egyptian club Ahly, record Champions League winners, were drawn alongside Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca, Cameroon’s Coton Sport and Zambia’s Zanaco.
Papa Gassama, who was earlier this week named the continent’s only referee at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, will be assisted by Burundian Jean-Claude Birumushahu and Aden Range Marwa of Kenya when he takes to the limelight at the 86,000-capacity Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria.
This will be the fifth time that 38-year-old Gassama will be officiating an Al Ahly match including the 2013 Champions League final against Orlando Pirates which the Cairo giants won 2-0, in addition to the 2013 CAF Super Cup match which Al Ahly also won.
The Caf Referee of the Year for the third consecutive time will set out the field on May 13 at 1900 GMT before jetting out to Russia to prepare for matches at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
