FC Saint-Eloi Lupopo will travel to Pretoria without one of their most influential players after CAF hit right-back Dieumerci Mukoko Amale with a two-match suspension ahead of Saturday’s CAF Champions League opener against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Mukoko — widely known for his fiery personality and role in unsettling Orlando Pirates during last month’s dramatic preliminary round — has been punished retrospectively for unsporting behaviour. CAF’s disciplinary committee reviewed footage from the second leg at Orlando Stadium and ruled that the defender attempted to headbutt Pirates’ Masindi Nemtajela, an act that went unpunished on the day.
In the chaos that followed, Tshepang Moremi was dismissed for retaliation, and Lupopo’s Christopher Sumbu was mistakenly shown red — allowing Mukoko to stay on the field, where he continued provoking the Pirates bench and players as tensions boiled over.
After reviewing the incident, CAF confirmed the officiating error and ruled against Mukoko, handing him a suspension that rules him out of Lupopo’s trip to Loftus Versfeld. He will also sit out their second group fixture against Sudanese giants Al-Hilal Omdurman.
The absence of their abrasive, combative right-back is a significant blow for Guy Bukasa’s side as they prepare to face a Sundowns team determined to avoid the same pitfalls that tripped up Pirates.