African champions Mazembe disqualified - 7M sport

African champions Mazembe disqualified



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Posted Sunday, May 15, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Title holders Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo were disqualified from the African Champions League on Saturday for fielding an ineligible player.

A Confederation of African Football (CAF) statement said a complaint by Simba of Tanzania against Mazembe using defender Janvier Bokungu in a second round tie had been upheld.

Mazembe eliminated Simba, and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the third round last weekend, to reach the mini-league phase of the premier Pan-African club championship.

CAF said Simba and Wydad will play-off next weekend at a neutral venue to be announced with the winners qualifying for the eight-club group phase of a competition offering a 1.5-million-dollar first prize.

Disqualification ruins Mazembe dreams of winning a record third consecutive title after last year becoming the first club to twice successfully defend the African title.

The team from southern mining city Lubumbashi achieved international recognition last December when they stunned Internacional of Brazil 2-0 to reach the FIFA Club World Cup final in Abu Dhabi.

Bokungu, a 22-year-old Kinshasa-born defender, was transferred from Mazembe to leading Tunisian club Esperance in 2007 and rejoined the Congolese club this year.

Reports said the footballer broke a contract with the Tunis team that runs until June this year while an Mazembe official insisted the Bokungu transfer was legal.

"Janvier properly revoked his contract with Esperance and Mazembe have no problem with the player or his former club. He was acquired after a mutual agreement," Mazembe general manager Frederic Kitengie told reporters.

The expulsion of Mazembe has led to a reshuffle of the African Champions League and African Confederation Cup packs ahead of group and play-offs draws in Cairo on Sunday.

Whoever emerges victorious between Simba and Wydad goes into the eight-club Champions League group phase while the losers get a second chance at African glory in the Confederation Cup play-offs.

Wydad won the African Champions Cup—forerunner of the Champions League—19 years ago by defeating Al-Hilal of Sudan while the closest Simba came to glory was finishing runners-up to Stella of Ivory Coast in the 1993 CAF Cup.



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