An African coach has appealed to CAF to make a huge change – one Pitso Mosimane has previously shown support for – after his side were dumped out of a cup competition this weekend.
In June 2021, UEFA abolished the away goals tie-breaker, with the change coming into effect from the 2021/22 campaign.
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However, the rule remains in place in CAF competitions, and in May 2023, the president of Africa's football governing body, Patrice Motsepe, maintained the rule would stay in place, per TimesLive.
Speaking at the COSAFA Annual General Assembly at the time, the CAF chief said: "Supporters go to the stadiums to see goals, supporters and lovers of football go to the stadiums for the exciting and the competitive world class football. But for now we're going to leave things (away goals rule) as they are. We don't want to see clubs when they play at home defending. I would love to see clubs being significantly more offensive. Go and score goals, but, of course, your defence must be very good. You must be solid defensively as well, but I think the focus at this stage is to go and score goals. That's what make football worldwide quite exciting."
The away goals rule has certainly had its fair share of critics, and Egyptian side Modern Future's manager Tamer Mostafa has now called for its abolishment after his team was eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup by Zamalek on Sunday.
"The two-goal rule has ended in all tournaments, except for CAF tournaments, which is a very strange thing," a frustrated Mostafa said in a post-match press conference, according to Yallakora.
"They must review their calculations in applying this rule.
"This is not equal opportunities."
South African coach Pitso Mosimane is also known to be a critic of the rule, and in 2022, while he was still in charge of Al Ahly, he also called for the abolishment of the tie-breaking method.
"You know why I would want to scratch the away-goal rule – it means it opens the game," Mosimane said at the time, according to TimesLive. "So you can't say you're 1-0 up and now people are parking the bus, and then you see the ball boys disappear, that's stupid. I mean, African football, guys.
"[Scrapping the rule] will help in that space and will open up games. We'll all play because there will be nothing like when I'm playing at home and I have a chance if I score one away. I think it's a good thing [to end the rule], I'd like that."
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