Downs' CAFCL rivals demand 'necessary' action after ref incident

Mamelodi Sundowns' upcoming CAF Champions League rivals have demanded that action be taken against a referee following a controversial incident. 

The Brazilians will do battle with Tunisian side Esperance Sportive de Tunis in the semi-finals of the continental club tournament to determine who will progress to the tournament's decider. 

Read: Real reason for Tau's Al Ahly absence revealed? 

While both teams prepare for the first leg, which is set to take place on Saturday, they could only manage draws in their latest games in their respective domestic competitions. 

Masandawana shared the spoils with Moroka Swallows as their DStv Premiership match ended 2-2 on Monday night, while their continental opponents played out a 1-1 draw with US Monastir in a Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 play-off encounter on Sunday. 

Esperance, however, insisted they were deprived of a numerical advantage during the course of the match after Monastir midfielder Bilel Ait Malek was not shown a red card for what they believe to be a "violent" challenge on Mohamed Ben Ali. 

Club spokesperson Walid Garfalla has since expressed the side's dissatisfaction with referee Amir Ayadi's failure to give Ait Malek his marching orders, adding that Esperance will take the matter to the Tunisian Football Federation's general supervisor of the refereeing department, Naji Jouini. 

"Ayadi had to show the red card to Bilel Ait Malek after his violent intervention on Mohamed Ben Ali, but after reviewing the shot on VAR, he decided to give him a yellow card and deprive us of the opportunity to play with a numerical increase for a full half," the spokesman told Tunisie Numerique. 

"In Amir Ayadi's previous interviews with Esperance, we put in good faith, but after the Monastir Union match, we will demand Naji Jouini to take the necessary measures against this referee."  

Read: 'If I don't come out of Egypt club alive, my corpse will be here’