CAF Disciplinary Board Decisions: TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup and Champions League matters
The CAF Disciplinary Board met this week to deliberate on two matters: The eligibility of Ahmed Refaat of Future FC Player (Egypt) in the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup matches and the protest of Al Merrikh Club on the substitutions made by Esperance de Tunis during the match between both teams.
*Future FC and Ahmed Refaat *
CAF received complaints from Pyramids FC, ASFAR and ASKO de Kara Clubs in relation to the participation of Future FC player Ahmed Refaat after he returned from a loan in UAE in January 2023.
The Player has participated in three CAF Confederation Cup matches with Future FC in the season 2022-2023: Future FC vs ASFAR played in Cairo on 8th March 2023, Future FC vs ASKO Kara played in Cairo on 19th March 2023, and Pyramids FC vs Future FC played in Cairo on 02 April 2023
The Disciplinary Board concluded that since the player was not re-registered on the CMS system, neither have any correspondence been sent to CAF asking for the re-registration of the player after his return from the loan in accordance with the Interclubs Regulations meaning that the player was ineligible to take part in any match after his return from loan to Future FC.
After having discussed the matter and deliberated, CAF Disciplinary Board decided to:
1. Declare the player Ahmed Refaat as ineligible and consider the matches in which he took part as forfeited by Future FC.
2. Impose upon Future FC a financial sanction of 10,000 USD (Ten Thousand US Dollars).
*Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia) vs. Al Merrikh (Sudan) *
Al Merrikh SC submitted a formal protest indicating that Esperance used four substitutions opportunities instead of three.
The Referees committee had previously examined the matter and conveyed that there was no technical error as the incident was just related to a substitution procedure and had absolutely no impact on the outcome of the game.
The Disciplinary Board noted that there was merely a mix up in the execution of one of the substitution opportunities and was of the view that that the decision of the fourth official to effect and allow the substitutions removes the burden of liability from Esperance.
After having discussed the matter, examined the documentations (Referees report, Referees Committee response, and hearing both parties Merrikh and Esperance), CAF Disciplinary Board deliberated and decided to dismiss Al Merrikh SC protest.
CAF Communication Department