CAF bans four players, kicks out two teams

JOHANNESBURG – The Confederation of African Football has handed out one-year bans to four players and kicked out Angolan and Rwandan sides from continental club competition, a statement said on Saturday.

Libyan players Omar Dawood, Ahmed Osman and Osama Ben Salah were suspended for a year after attacking a referee at a hotel after their team lost in Ndjamena, Chad in an African Confederation Cup game in February, CAF said. APR FC of Rwanda are banned from competing in continental club competition for the next three years after walking off the pitch before the end of a African Champions League tie in Togo last month.Defender Sadou Boukary was banned for a year for an attack on the referee during the second round, second leg match against Maranatha Fiokpo in Wome, while team mates Alua Gaseruka and Patrick Mafisango were handed six-month bans for abusive language towards the referee.Angolan side Benfica Luanda were kicked out of the African Confederation Cup for using a suspended player in their tie against Astres Douala of Cameroon earlier this month, the federation said in the statement.Mbungu Mputu had been sent off in the previous round against Daring Club Motemba Pembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and should have sat with an automatic one-match suspension.But the match referee, Barthelemy Ngana of the Central African Republic, recorded the wrong name on the official report and the CAF compounded the error by confirming the suspension of the incorrect player in a routine notification with the Angolan Football Federation.Benfica decided to play Mbungu in their next match, even though they were aware of the administrative mistake, CAF said.”In case of any administrative discrepancies the national association is required to inform CAF within 24 hours after receiving the decision,” CAF’s statement said.”Any club fielding a non-eligible player is disqualified for that competition in which it is involved.”Referee Ngana had been provisionally suspended, CAF added.The CAF also announced a three-match suspension and US$5000 fine for Niger coach Tchanille Bana, who ordered his players to leave the pitch during their African Nations Cup qualifying defeat against Lesotho in Maseru in March.Nampa-ReutersAPR FC of Rwanda are banned from competing in continental club competition for the next three years after walking off the pitch before the end of a African Champions League tie in Togo last month.Defender Sadou Boukary was banned for a year for an attack on the referee during the second round, second leg match against Maranatha Fiokpo in Wome, while team mates Alua Gaseruka and Patrick Mafisango were handed six-month bans for abusive language towards the referee.Angolan side Benfica Luanda were kicked out of the African Confederation Cup for using a suspended player in their tie against Astres Douala of Cameroon earlier this month, the federation said in the statement.Mbungu Mputu had been sent off in the previous round against Daring Club Motemba Pembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and should have sat with an automatic one-match suspension.But the match referee, Barthelemy Ngana of the Central African Republic, recorded the wrong name on the official report and the CAF compounded the error by confirming the suspension of the incorrect player in a routine notification with the Angolan Football Federation.Benfica decided to play Mbungu in their next match, even though they were aware of the administrative mistake, CAF said.”In case of any administrative discrepancies the national association is required to inform CAF within 24 hours after receiving the decision,” CAF’s statement said.”Any club fielding a non-eligible player is disqualified for that competition in which it is involved.”Referee Ngana had been provisionally suspended, CAF added.The CAF also announced a three-match suspension and US$5000 fine for Niger coach Tchanille Bana, who ordered his players to leave the pitch during their African Nations Cup qualifying defeat against Lesotho in Maseru in March.Nampa-Reuters