CAF confirms Heartland's Confederation Cup exit

.To sanction club

Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finally confirmed the exit of Heartland FC of Owerri from the ongoing Confederation Cup.

The continental football body ruled expectedly in a press statement on Saturday that the Nazi Millionaires as Heartland is called was at fault after it failed to show up on time for the second-leg tie between it and US Bitam of Gabon on Saturday, April 6 in Bitam.

Travel hitches due to lack of funds kept Heartland’s contingent grounded in the country until just few hours before the match. It eventually arrived in Gabon, only to learn that it had been walked over by the hosts.

But CAF has ruled that the team’s failure to meet up with the kickoff time was a failing on its part and not as a result of Force Majeure or something beyond its control. This, it noted was contrary to Article 16 of the body’s competition regulations and effectively, dumps the team out of the championship.

The football body also noted that Heartland will face further sanctions for its poor planning and breaking of the competition rules.

CAF ruled thus: “In relation to the match initially scheduled on Saturday April 06^th which did not take place between US Bitam (Gabon) and Heartland (Nigeria) in the frame of the 10th edition of the Orange Confederation Cup 2013, the referees and officials registered the absence of Heartland team at the time of kick off.

“The CAF Inter-clubs Committee considered that the absence of the team from Nigeria was mainly the responsibility of the club Heartland, rather than a case of force majeure.

“Consequently, and in conformity with article 16 of the competition regulations:

“‘If for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the competition or does not report for a match-except in case of force majeure accepted by the Organising Committee- or if it refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the permission of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated from the competition. The same shall apply to the teams which were declared disqualified by decision of CAF.’

“And without considering other possible sanctions to be applied during the next meeting of the CAF inter-clubs Committee in May in Cairo, the CAF Inter-cubs Committee considers the team Heartland eliminated from the competition.”