The Democratic Republic of Congo side FC Saint Eloi Lupopo landed in South Africa at the OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, with CAF issuing a verdict on Orlando Pirates’ protest against them.
Lupopo kick off their group stage campaign with a clash against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday in Pretoria. The match is scheduled for Loftus Versfeld Stadium at 3PM on Saturday.
Pirates lodged an eligibility complaint after the clubs’ CAF Champions League preliminary-round clash – in which both sides won 3-0 at home before Lupopo advanced on penalties last month.
The Soweto giants filed a complaint regarding Lupopo’s coach, Guy Bukasa, who was currently suspended by CAF for six matches. The suspension stemmed from a brawl during the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] in Egypt, which South Africa’s Amajita eventually won.
Bukasa was the DR Congo head coach at the time, resigning after his side lost 1-0 to South Africa in the quarter-finals. Due to this ban, Bukasa was prohibited from sitting on the bench for six CAF inter-club matches, which included both legs of the Pirates fixture.
In addition, Pirates also claimed to CAF that the Congolese team registered their player, Henoc Molia, outside the transfer window period and disputed the eligibility of Khashala Wanet, whom they claim holds two passports.
WHAT IS CAF’S VERDICT ON LUPOPO
FARPost has it on good authority that CAF have ruled that Pirates will not be reinstated into the competition, and the current standings remain unchanged. Lupopo, on the other hand, will not face disqualification, and the match result is originally recognised. The ruling was handed down this week.
Following a comprehensive investigation, including documentary verification with CAF’s Compliance Secretariat, the committee concluded that the issues did not amount to violations serious enough to warrant sanctions for disqualification under Article 10.1.1 of the CAF Governance and Compliance.
The registration of Molia fell within an extended administrative allowance, while the dual documentation of Wanet complied with the accepted standards, making him eligible for participation in light of the findings.
RELATED STORY: CAF respond to Pirates’ complaint over FC Lupopo