St Eloi Lupopo Coach Punished Heavily After Complaint From Orlando Pirates

While Congolese side St Eloi Lupopo got a major victory in their battle to retain their CAF Champions League place, they have also suffered a setback after their coach was punished.

Lupopo saw CAF uphold their place in the Champions League after delivering a favourable ruling that dismissed Orlando Pirates’ complaint that two of their players were ineligible to play for them in their second preliminary round clash.

Pirates had complained that Henoc Molia was registered outside the transfer window period while Ramos Khashala Wanet allegedly holds two passports and therefore Lupopo had to be punished.

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CAF also handed the South African club fines for not accrediting their counterparts from DR Congo and spraying their dressing room with chemicals but Lupopo did not escape Pirates’ third complaint.

The Soweto giants also wanted the Lubumbashi-based club sanctioned because coach Guy Bukasa was not supposed to be in the dugout, having been suspended by CAF, following a brawl during an Under-20 AFCON match against South Africa.

On this one, Pirates got a win as Bukasa has been found in breach of the rules and handed a six-match ban and $20,000 (Ksh2.6 million) fine.

CAF agreed that the 35-year-old was not supposed to sit on the bench during the continental match but did not feel his presence had a huge bearing on the game that would lead to the club being punished.

Bukasa is therefore set to miss from the dugout for the start of their Champions League group stage campaign for the Congolese side, beginning with Saturday’s away fixture to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Lupopo are in a tough group that has last season’s finalists Sundowns, Algerian champions MC Alger as well as Sudan giants Al-Hilal.