Kinshasa, September 14th, 2025 (CPA). – The four representatives of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the 2025-2026 interclubs of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) have been informed of the regularisation of their situation, according to a press release. « Champions League: FC Les Aigles du Congo and FC Saint Eloi Lupopo. CAF Cup: AS Maniema Union and AS Simba, » it is read.
According to this statement dated September 12th, 2025, signed by Jean Marie Mbuyi, General Secretary of Fecofa, a copy of which was received by CPA on Saturday, the regularisation of the situation of the Congolese clubs has been confirmed by the continental football authority. ‘The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that this decision is based on the criteria adopted and validated at the meeting held on September 8th, 2025 between Fecofa, Linafoot and the League clubs.’ It is in this capacity that Fecofa has wished to inform all clubs and stakeholders in Congolese football of the final conclusion and outcome of the process to select the four representatives of DRC for the CAF Interclub competitions. During the draw held on August 9th in Nairobi, Kenya, ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) football tournament, none of the names of these four clubs representing DRC has been displayed, except for the label ‘DRC’ associated with numbers 1 and 2, referring to the two DRC clubs participating in the upcoming 2025-2026 Champions League or the CAF Cup in the same sporting season. In this case, the last straw was the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), ordering Fecofa to effectively and fully continue the play-offs of the 30th National Football League (Linafoot) championship after it was halted following a complaint by TP Mazembe of Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, in the south-east of DRC.
Meanwhile, FC Les Aigles du Congo of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and FC Saint Eloi Lupopo of Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga, in the south-east of the country, AS Maniema Union of Kindu and AS Simba of Kolwezi have be unable, by the deadline of September 5th, to register in the required system, which was blocked by CAF, which finally has resolved the situation at the last minute, allowing all four teams to participate.