Keeper El Ouaer could face ban if he faked injury

Veteran Tunisian goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer faces a lengthy ban if he is found to have faked a serious injury in an attempt to get Sunday's African Champions League final abandoned. The Confederation of African Football said on Monday they would study the report of the referee and the match commissioner after a bizarre incident in the second leg of the final between Ghana's Hearts of Oak and Esperance of Tunisia. El Ouaer, the Esperance captain, appeared to cut himself on the head with a sharp object during an 18-minute stoppage, then ran from his goal area to the halfway line with blood streaming from his face before collapsing on the pitch. CAF said an emergency meeting could be called to make a decision on El Ouaer if necessary, or a decision may be deferred until their club competition committee meets in February. Esperance, who were leading 1-0 before the stoppage 15 minutes from time, went on to lose 1-3 to Hearts for a 2-5 aggregate defeat. Esperance made a formal protest at the result of the second leg after Sunday's game, claiming El Ouaer had been struck by a projectile and their team's performance affected by the lengthy stoppage in the second half. CONFIRMED South African referee Robin Williams and linesman Achmat Sallie confirmed to journalists they had seen the player inflict the cut on himself. The incident was also seen by officials and journalists, who had spilled onto the athletics track surrounding the pitch after police, seeking to disperse spectators who had been throwing objects at Sallie, fired teargas. El Ouaer was handed a sharp object by a Esperance fan. El Ouaer was treated on the pitch and then taken away for treatment, his place in goal taken by midfielder Hassen Gabsi rather than reserve goalkeeper Mohamed Zouabi. No action was taken against him by the referee, who later sent off Esperance winger Walid Azaiez for headbutting. Williams' report on the incident is crucial to a possible case against El Ouaer, the 34-year-old international who played for his country at the World Cup finals in France. In 1989, FIFA banned Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas for life after he faked injury during a World Cup qualifier in Brazil. Chile did not qualify for the 1990 finals and were also suspended for the qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup.