“FC Lupopo will play in the group stage,” said Lupopo’s general secretary Don Jean-Luc Kapend.
Orlando Pirates have reportedly laid complaints to CAF against Saint-Eloi Lupopo head coach Guy Bukasa and two of their players, Henoc Molia and Ramos Kashala Wanet.
Lupopo knocked Pirates out of the CAF Champions League last week after winning 5-4 on penalties, following a 3-3 aggregate draw over two legs.
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Pirates lost 3-0 to the DR Congo outfit in the first leg of the second preliminary round in Lubumbashi, before bouncing back with a victory by the same scoreline in the second leg at Orlando Stadium.
Now following their exit, the Buccaneers have reportedly lodged three complaints against Bukasa, Molia and Kashala Wanet. According to the reports, Pirates allege that officials should not have allowed Bukasa to sit on the bench due to a suspension he received while in charge of DR Congo Under-20.
The Buccaneers also claim that Lupopo registered Molia after the transfer window closed, thereby violating CAF registration rules. The also question Kashala eligibility claiming that the player holds two different passports.
Lupopo’s general secretary Don Jean-Luc Kapend, however, has dismissed the reports insisting that his club will play in the CAF Champions’ League group stages.
“Article 29.6 of the 2025 CAF competition regulations is clear. Suspensions of more than one match only apply to the category in which they were imposed, in this case the U20s,” Kapend told Congolese football outlet Foot RDC.
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“Today, everything is computerized. The schedule for the second round was from September 1 to 30. Kashala was registered in the CMS system on September 29. At this stage, we’re not cheating.
“FC Lupopo will play in the group stage,” added Kapend.