African champions Mazembe expelled from tournament

TP Mazembe shocked soccer experts by reaching the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2010.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

CAF expels to-time defending champions TP Mazembe after complaint over player
Simba of Tanzania appealed to ruling body after losing to the Congolese team
Mazembe's Janvier Bokungu is allegedly still under contract to another team
Simba and Widad de Casablanca will play off to decide which side takes Mazembe's place

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(CNN) -- African football champions TP Mazembe have been thrown out of the continent's Champions League competition after fielding an ineligible player.

Tanzanian team Simba complained after the Congolese side included defender Janvier Bokungu in a second-round tie, which Mazembe won after triumphing in both legs.

Mazembe then beat Morocco's Widad de Casablanca in the third round to reach the group stages of the tournament, which the club also won in 2009.

The Confederation of African Football said in a statement on Saturday that Simba and Widad would play off at a neutral venue next week, with the winning team to take Mazembe's place in the eight-club group phase starting in July.

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"Following a complaint filed by Simba Sports of Tanzania following match 68 of the Orange Champions League, the Confederation of African Football launched an investigation on the eligibility of TP Mazembe's player named Janvier Besala Bokungu," it said on its website.

"The findings of the investigation were submitted to the Organizing Committee for CAF Interclubs Competitions. Based on those findings, the committee decided to disqualify TP Mazembe on the basis of Chapter VIII (Fraud), article 24, article 26 (Qualification of players) and article 29 of Orange CAF Champions League regulations."

Simba had complained that the 22-year-old Bokungu was still contracted to Tunisian team Esperance, where he moved from Mazembe in 2007.

He has played at international level for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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"Janvier properly revoked his contract with Esperance and Mazembe have no problem with the player or his former club. He was acquired after a mutual agreement," Mazembe general manager Frederic Kitengie told reporters in quotes carried by the AFP news agency.

Mazembe's punishment ends the club's hopes of a third successive African title, and another trip to the FIFA Club World Cup.

Last year the Congolese team stunned Brazilian team Internacional before losing in the final to European champions Inter Milan, becoming the first African side to make it that far.