FC PLATINUM have lodged a letter of protest with the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after Club Desportivo D’Agosto failed to avail their players’ passports before the match in line with the rules of the competition, with reports suggesting that the Angolans might have fielded an ineligible player in the two teams’ Caf Champions League preliminary round first leg meeting in Luanda at the weekend.
FROM TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Club chairman Evans Mthombeni charged that their hosts had violated the Caf rules governing the tournament after failing to avail the documents, claiming that they had sent them to the embassy for the processing of visas to Zimbabwe.
“We have written to Caf over the issue,” the FC Platinum boss said.
“They clearly violated the Caf rules. They gave their reason, but what we know is that you don’t need a visa from Angola to Zimbabwe. The match commissioner even made it clear during the pre-match meeting that they had to avail the players’ passports.”
FC Platinum were thrashed 3-0 at the November 11 Stadium on Sunday leaving them staring an early exit from the prestigious tournament.
They now have to better Club Desportivo D’Agosto’s score from the first leg to progress to the first round.
“Our letter of protest is not to try to have the results of the match nullified, but we are simply following procedure because they violated Caf rules,” Mthombeni said.
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The Zvishavane side have previously participated in the African safari, but failed to make a mark, bowing out in the first round.
However, Mapeza believes he can emulate Barcelona, who progressed in the Uefa Champions League against all odds, having been massacred 5-0 by PSG in the first leg only to overturn the deficit in the second leg at the Nou Camp with a 6-0 win.
