Burkina Faso’s hopes of fielding winger Jonathan Pitroipa in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Nigeria rest on the referee’s semi-final match report.
The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has already suspended Slim Jdidi following his display on Wednesday.
“The organising committee does not have the power to change the referee’s decision unless he admits he made a mistake in his official report,” said Caf official Hicham El Amrani.
Pitroipa was dismissed for simulation.
The lively winger was shown a second yellow card in the final minutes of extra-time against Ghana, earning a caution for simulation even though John Boye appeared to trip the Burkinabe inside his own area.
The 26-year-old is now set to miss Sunday’s Johannesburg final against Nigeria’s Super Eagles – unless Jdidi’s report can come to his aid.
Immediately after the match, which Burkina Faso won after a dramatic penalty shoot-out, officials from the West African nation made an official protest to African football’s ruling body.
“We have appealed to the Confederation of African Football,” media officer Gabriel Nacoulma told BBC Sport on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Caf Secretary-General El Amrani told a news conference in Johannesburg on Thursday that his body was unhappy with the standard of officiating in the Nelspruit semi-final.
“We would have expected a better standard,” he said.
“There is a meeting (on Friday) to discuss the Pitroipa incident.”
Already missing the injured Alain Traore for the first Nations Cup final in the Stallions’ history, the absence of key man Pitroipa, who scored the match-winner in Sunday’s quarter-final win over Togo, would be another major blow for the Burkinabe.
“We’ve already lost Alain Traore and now if we lose Jonathan, who is a very important player, it will be very difficult for us,” midfielder Djakaridja Kone told BBC Sport.
“But this is football and we are professionals and have some other players who can also play. We hope Caf can do something for Jonathan because this foul was a penalty.”
Meanwhile, media officer Nacoulma insisted that Pitroipa is overcoming his plight by focussing on the positives of Burkina Faso’s historic campaign.
Prior to these finals, the Stallions had failed to win a match at the Nations Cup on foreign soil, having reached the semi-finals when hosting in 1998, but they now stand on the verge of their greatest triumph.
“Jonathan is not sad, because he is delighted that the team has made the final,” Nacoulma said.
“We are very confident his suspension will be overturned.”
