CAF impose one-year ban on DR Congo stadium

JOHANNESBURG, Sep 7 (Reuters) The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned the use of a stadium in the Democratic Republic of Congo for 12 months after a visiting official was kidnapped there earlier this year.

CAF said the Congolese federation had also been served with a one-year suspended sentence and would be banned from participating in continental competitions if similar incidents occurred again.

CAF imposed the ban on the Kenya stadium in Lubumbashi after incidents at the end of an African Champions League third round match in May in which the official from Nigerian club Enyimba was taken by Congolese supporters.

He was later released unharmed but the event followed previous attacks on visiting sides in the Congolese capital Kinshasa.

It is the second time the stadium in Lubumbashi has been banned.

CAF stopped Congolese clubs from using the venue for African competitions in 2003 because of the poor standard of the pitch.

REUTERS PDS PC1810