Chad Premier League champions Gazelle FC have been banned from playing in African club competitions for the next two years and fined $5000 for withdrawing from the 2020/2021 African Champions League.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) slapped the mandatory ban and fine on the popular N’Djamena team in Cairo on Tuesday, in accordance with its regulations.
CAF rules state that any team which withdraws from a competition after the fixtures have been determined receives an automatic three-year ban.
Gazelle were set to face Egyptian giants Zamalek in the African Champions League first round, first leg in December but pulled out after they were blocked from travelling to Cairo after a decision from the Chadian Minister of Sports.
The ban means Gazelle will not be able to participate in any of CAF’s competitions until 2023.
Meanwhile, Chadian representatives in African Confederation Cup, Renaissance FC, may experience the same fate as their counterparts after they failed to honour their preliminary round match against Tunisia’s ES Setif during the same period.
Renaissance were denied access to the Idriss Mahamat Ouya Stadium by the Chadian authorities forcing the central African nation’s FA to send a letter to CAF stating that their representatives will not honour the match without revealing the reasons behind it.
