JOHANNESBURG, Feb 7, (AFP): Tunisian referee Slim Jdidi has been suspended for his controversial handling of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Ghana and Burkina Faso, the organisers said Thursday. “We would have expected a better standard,” Confederation of African Football (CAF) secretary-general Hicham El Amrani told a media conference just hours after Burkina Faso lodged an official appeal against key player Jonathan Pitroipa’s red card in the semi-final win over Ghana on Wednesday. “There is a meeting tomorrow (Friday) to discuss the Pitroipa incident,” El Amrani told reporters.

The official said Pitroipa’s chances of playing in the final depend on the match report sent in by Jdidi.
“The organising committee does not have the power to change the referee’s decision unless the referee admits he made a mistake in his official report,” said El Amrani.
As it stands, Pitroipa will miss Sunday’s Cup of Nations final against Nigeria in Soweto after picking up two yellow cards in the stunning penalty shoot-out success over the Black Stars.
Pitroipa, who has scored twice in the tournament, was sent off three minutes from the end of extra time on Wednesday for diving when, in fact, he had clearly been knocked to the ground after tangling with an opponent.
Team manager Gualbert Kabore, speaking at the team hotel in north-eastern city Nelspruit, told AFP: “The Burkina Faso Football Federation wrote an offical letter of appeal to CAF (competition organisers).
“We lodged it in the two hours after the match as stipulated by the regulations.
“We think we have a good chance of winning the appeal.”

Kabore, a distant relation to another key Burkinabe player, midfielder and vice-captain Charles Kabore, echoed coach Paul Put’s dim view of Jdidi’s decision-making during the match.
Chief among the Tunisian’s perceived errors in the Burkina Faso camp were the rejection of a legitimate penalty claim, a disallowed goal that appeared to be valid, and Pitroipa’s sending off.
“There were some scandalous decisions, we don’t know why, we’re asking lots of questions, there are lots of theories,” said Kabore.
“Curiously, the players reacted better than us (the team management). They said if the referee is against us that must mean we are the stronger side.” Burkina Faso are hoping to hear later Thursday whether their appeal has been successful.
The Stallions are already having to do without the services of top scorer Alain Traore.
He was leading the scoring charts in South Africa with three goals only for his Nations Cup to end prematurely when he sustained an injury against Zambia in the final first-round game.
In Durban, Nigeria striker Victor Moses is still bothered by a left ankle injury and his presence in the African Cup of Nations final remains uncertain.

Moses was limping and had to walk very slowly as Nigeria boarded a plane from Durban to Johannesburg on Thursday, a day after the Super Eagles defeated Mali 4-1 to reach their first final in more than a decade.
Coach Stephen Keshi said Moses will undergo exams later Thursday in Johannesburg.
“We will know then, but I think he will be OK,” the coach told The Associated Press.
Moses, the team’s leading striker, was hurt in the second half at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday, being replaced by Ahmed Musa in the 53rd minute.
The Chelsea striker was reluctant to discuss his condition on Thursday.

Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi has maintained his team are still a work in progress even after they thrashed Mali 4-1 on Wednesday to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final.
“We’re just growing, I’m still building,” said Keshi after the Super Eagles flew past Mali at Moses Mabhida Stadium in this port city.
“There is a lot of talent and potential in this team, but it will take time for us to be a real team.”
After a laboured start to this tournament, where they failed to win their first two matches against Burkina Faso and Zambia, the Eagles are now in full flight and on track to win a third title.
The Nigeria coach said they struggled because they had yet to gel as a team, and also due to fatigue from a punishing schedule at a training camp in Faro, Portugal, prior to the tournament.
“It was a little difficult at the beginning of this tournament because we were only coming together for the first time,” he explained.
“We worked hard in Portugal, but I believe we were tired, and so for the first two to three games, it was a bit difficult for us.”

Keshi was captain of the team that last won Nigeria the Nations Cup in 1994 and the ‘Big Boss’ said the current team are still a long way off reaching the standard set by that side.
“The 1994 squad was unbelieveable. We were brothers, there was a great spirit in the team, now there is the talent, but we need a strong mentality and character,” he explained.
Nigeria last played in the Nations Cup final in 2000, when they co-hosted the competition with Ghana.
However, they lost the final on penalties to arch-rivals Cameroon after a 2-2 draw.
“Considering the talent we have, it has been a long time since we got to the final again. I’m therefore delighted that we have crossed over today,” said skipper Joseph Yobo, who won his 92nd cap on Wednesday as a substitute.
“Our confidence has shot up since we defeated the Ivory Coast.
“The final is where you have to prove everything and, personally, it would be great after so many years with the national team to finally win a major trophy.”