CAF Fines Madagascar, Others Over Hooliganism

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Madagascar, the Central African Republic and three clubs for various offences during matches organised by the continent’s football body.

The decisions were taken on Saturday at the meeting of CAF Disciplinary Committee held in Johannesburg.

The Malagasy Football Federation was fined 10,000 dollars for allowing their fans to throw plastic and glass bottles to the pitch during the 2012 Orange Nations Cup qualifier against Ethiopia on October 10 in Antananarivo.

However, half of the amount was suspended.

The Central African Republic was fined the same 10,000 dollars, half of which was also suspended for poor security arrangements, leading to the invasion of the pitch by fans.

The offence was committed during the Nations Cup qualifier against Algeria on October 10 in Bangui.

Tunisia’s Esperance de Tunis, Algeria’s JS Kabylie and TP Mazembe fell under the CAF axe for various offences in the CAF Champions League.

Esperance were fined 50,000 dollars to cover the cost of damages the club’s fans caused to facilities of the Cairo during their Champions League semi-final tie against Al Ahly on October 3. JSK, as the Algerian club is fondly known, will cough out 20,000 dollars over what CAF said was “repeated and abusive use of projectiles by spectators” in the Champions League semi-final tie against TP Mazembe on October 16 in Tizi Ouzou.

In addition, the club was ordered to play their next CAF inter club game behind closed doors.

Esperance were fined 15,000 dollars for their players’ misbehaviour during the first leg of the Champions League tie against TP Mazembe on October 31 in Lumumbashi.

Hosts, Mazembe were warned for ineffective security and organisational lapses in the match.

CAF said it would evaluate all aspects of the organisation of its Inter Club matches on November 12 at the Inter Clubs Organising Committee meeting.

The African soccer body said the performance of its referees in all its competitions  would assessed at the next CAF Referee Committee scheduled for next month.