CAF delivers verdict on Pirates complaint as Lupopo lands in South Africa

FC Saint-Éloi Lupopo, the Democratic Republic of Congo side, touched down at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, their arrival coinciding with the verdict from CAF regarding Orlando Pirates’ eligibility protest.

The Congolese contingent is in South Africa to kick off their CAF Champions League group stage campaign against Mamelodi Sundowns. The highly anticipated clash is scheduled for Saturday at 3 PM (SA time) at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

The Pirates Protest Dismissed

Lupopo’s presence in the group stage was initially thrown into doubt following a comprehensive protest lodged by Orlando Pirates. The Soweto giants contested Lupopo’s advancement from their CAF Champions League preliminary-round tie last month, a fixture which saw both teams win 3-0 at home before Lupopo secured progression via a penalty shootout.

Pirates’ complaint centred on two main pillars:

The Coach’s Ban: They alleged Lupopo coach, Guy Bukasa, was ineligible. Bukasa was serving a six-match CAF suspension stemming from a touchline brawl during the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt—a tournament eventually won by South Africa’s Amajita. Bukasa, the then-head coach for DR Congo, had been prohibited from sitting on the bench for six CAF inter-club fixtures, covering both legs against Pirates.

Player Eligibility: The club also claimed that Congolese player Henoc Molia was registered outside the mandated transfer window, and they disputed the eligibility of Khashala Wanet, alleging the player held dual passports.

CAF Rules in Favour of Lupopo

The CAF Disciplinary Committee has ruled against the Soweto giants earlier this week, as reported by FARPost.

The continental body has dismissed the protest in its entirety, confirming that Lupopo will not be disqualified and the original match results stand. This ruling ensures that Pirates will not be reinstated into the competition.

Following a thorough investigation and documentary verification, the committee concluded that the issues raised by Pirates were not severe enough to warrant disqualification under Article 10.1.1 of the CAF Governance and Compliance framework.

Specifically, the committee found that Molia’s registration was compliant, having fallen within an acceptable administrative allowance, and Wanet’s dual documentation adhered to accepted standards, rendering him eligible for the tie.

Lupopo can now focus entirely on their group stage opener against the Brazilians following the definitive closure of the eligibility saga.