Royal AM weigh in on accusations of stealing Mazembe’s belongings
Royal AM, who were accused of theft by TP Mazembe, have given an update on the ongoing case that is at the hands of FIFA.
The DR Congo outfit was in South Africa earlier this month for the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup play-off with Royal AM at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Building up to the match, the president of Thwihli Thwahla, Shauwn ‘MaMkhize’ Mkhize had complained about the ill-treatment that they were given by TP Mazembe during the first leg in Lubumbashi.
In response to MaMkhize’s complaints, TP Mazembe wrote a letter to CAF, dismissing Royal AM’s claims and also alleging that MaMkhize’s remarks contained “racist insinuations” and should be assessed by CAF’s Disciplinary committee.
The off-the-field drama escalated on matchday as the fans of both sides clashed in the stands before the game and the TP Mazembe crowd also got into an altercation with the stadium’s security personnel.
The police had to eventually intervene to put the situation under control.
During halftime, TP Mazembe took to their social media accounts, alleging that their belongings had been stolen from the locker room.
TP MAZEMBE CLAIM TO HAVE LOST THEIR BELONGINGS
“The players resumed the second half with a big blow behind. Several effects stolen from the locker room during the first half (passports and telephones),” TP Mazembe tweeted.
Les Corbeaux were left stranded for a few days in Durban as they couldn’t fly back home without the travelling documents.
They then made a complaint to both African and international football governing bodies CAF and FIFA respectively and also laid criminal charges with the SAPS.
Speaking to FARPost, Royal AM general manager Richard Makhoba divulged that TP Mazembe brought their own security company to look after their possessions.
He also revealed that Thwihli Thwahla are helping out the Lubumbashi-based club to discover how they lost their stuff.
FIFA INVESTIGATING THE MATTER
“FIFA is still dealing with the matter, it is still being investigated,” Makhoba told FARPost.
“As a club we have nothing to say, they proved that via SAPS, they followed all the angles.
“And we are assisting them to find out what happened to their belongings because they brought their own security company to look after their stuff.”
Royal AM were eliminated from the Confederation Cup, after a 3-0 defeat on aggregate score.
The five-time CAF Champions League winners had won 2-0 at home before they visited SA to complete the job with a 1-0 victory.
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