Esperance and Club Africain to play semis behind closed doors

Mahmoud Mohamed, Thursday 22 Sep 2011

CAF punishes Tunisian sides for pitch invasions earlier this month and warns of more severe punishment for future infringements

Esperance

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that Tunisian teams Esperance and Club Africain will each play one game behind closed doors due to their supporters’ behaviour in their matches against Algerian side Mouloudia Alger and Ivorian side ASEC respectively.

Supporters of both teams invaded the pitch during their matches earlier this month.

The CAF threatened to ban Esperance and Club Africain from future participation in the African Championships if they committed the same acts again.

Tunisian newspaper Assabah revealed that the CAF was close to banning the two Tunisian teams from playing their remaining games in the Champions League and Confederation Cup outside Tunisia.

Esperance will host Sudanese giants Al-Hilal in the semifinals of the CAF Champions League while Club African will face Sun Shine of Nigeria in the semifinals of the Confederation Cup next October.

Club Africain booked their place in the Confederation Cup semifinals by stunning Nigeria’s Kaduna United with a 1-0 victory away from home and leading Group A with eleven points. Meanwhile, Esperance reached the semifinals of the CAF Champions League after topping Group B with ten points.

 

Short link: