CAS ruling grants TP Mazembe last CAF Champions League chance

TP Mazembe have received a window of opportunity to earn a CAF Champions League qualification. This follows the Court of Arbitration (CAS)’s decision to overturn the Federation of Congolese Football Associations (FECOFA)’s stance to end the national league play-offs prematurely.

The FA had ended the play-offs prematurely on June 30, 2025, citing the need to harmonise the calendar of matches in the Central African national, prompting the Lubumbashi-based team to seek the Switzerland-based court intervention.

The decision dealt teams such as the Ravens a blow as they finished in fourth place, thereby depriving them of qualification to the next continental league.

However, a ruling which Pan-Africa Football has seen shows that CAS has ordered the resumption of the remaining matches, a development which could see Mazembe crawl their way back into the next Champions League football.

The ruling dated July 16 as quoted by DRCs news outlet FootRDC, says CAS annuls the decision of the Congolese Football Association Federation of June 30, 2025 rejecting Tout-Puissant Mazembe’s request for the continuation of the return phase of the National Championship Ligue 1″ and orders the national body to organize the remaining matches “in such a way that the matches can be played in full by July 31, 2025, the date of the end of the championship.”

The league ended on June 30 when FC Aigles du Congo were declared the champions after amassing 35 points, followed in second place by St Lupopo (33 pts), with both teams eligible for Champions League football and third-positioned Maniema Union (32 pts) destined for the Confederation Cup slot. Mazembe had finished on 30 points and outside the continental football qualification slot.

Part of the reason Mazembe finished in fourth position was due to the fact that they were docked six points for featuring an illegible player, Patrick Mwaungulu.

Reacting to the latest ruling, Mazembe said via a statement they “welcome this decision which guarantees respect for sporting fairness and the credibility of national competitions.”

AS Maniema Union had lodged a complaint that the Malawian attacker was ineligible to play against them on May 4 2025 and against FC Les Aigles du Congo on April 30 2025.