Democratic Republic of Congo: Club takes the field with only five players

Africa 16 April 2026 at 06:21

Nafongo TRAORE

News Editor

On Wednesday, April 14, the Linafoot 1 League, the top-flight championship in the Democratic Republic of Congo, witnessed a bizarre incident. AS New Soger entered the pitch with a lineup of only five players to face TP Mazembe in the final round of the group stage.

As expected, the scheduled match at Stade Kibassa Maliba in Lubumbashi did not take place. Due to the significant shortage of AS New Soger players below the legal minimum, the referees decided to call off the encounter before kickoff.

As a result, the green-and-white club was handed a technical defeat, awarding the Ravens of TP Mazembe a default 3–0 victory.