CAF Expels ES Setif From African Champions League
The Confederation of African Football, has expelled Algerian side ES Setif from the CAF Champions League following fan violence that marred their opening home game against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
The match was abandoned by the referee with the visitors 2-0 up when violence broke out in the stands.
Objects were thrown onto the field while some fans invaded the pitch in stoppage time, reacting angrily to the defeat.
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The CAF Organizing Committee for the Inter-Clubs Competitions decided to sanction the Algerian side after spectators and security personnel had been injured by “missiles, stones, bottles, and firecrackers”.
The African football body applied the provisions of Chapter XII para 3 and considered ES Sétif loser and eliminated from the competition without prejudice to any other sanctions that may be imposed by CAF Disciplinary Board.
Chapter XII para 3 stipulates: “3. If the referee is forced to stop the match before the end of the regular time because of invasion of the field or aggression against the visiting team, the host team shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated from the competition, without prejudice to the sanctions existing in the regulations.”
The result of the match was wiped out and the group has now been left with three teams – Sundowns, Enyimba of Nigeria and Egypt’s Zamalek. The top two advance to September’s semi-finals.
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The decision also dented a major blow to Sundowns’ chances of making it out of the group, as they were 2-0 up with 3 points in their pockets.
This is also the first time a club has been expelled from the Champions League since the group format was introduced to Africa’s top club competition in 1997.
