The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday said it had disqualified AS Vita of Congo from the 2016 Champions League.
A statement on CAF website said that the decision was taken at a meeting by the CAF Organising Committee for Inter-clubs Competitions.
It said that the committee reviewed a complaint by Stade Malien (Mali) on the eligibility of a player, Idrissa Traore, used by AS Vita (DR Congo).
According to the statement, Traore was used by the Congolese Club in the preliminary matches of the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League.
CAF said that the player featured for the Malian club during the 2015 season, and whilst at Stade Malien, the CAF’s Disciplinary Board handed him a four-match suspension.
According to the statement, the player only served one match ban while he carried the remaining three matches over to the next competition with the Congolese club.
It said that the carry-over was in line with Articles 114.1 and 114.2 of the CAF Disciplinary Code.
The statement said, however, that AS Vita fielded him in the preliminary rounds of the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League against Mafunzo of Zimbabwe.
In line with Article 7 Clause 9 and 10 of the regulations of the CAF Champions League bordering on Disciplinary Measures, the committee on Inter-clubs Competitions disqualified AS Vita from the competition.
According to the statement, the Congolese club was replaced by Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa – the last opponent of AS Vita before qualifying for the group phase.
