GUINEAN clubs participating in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup qualifiers will lose their home advantage after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ordered them to play their respective matches at the homes of their opponents.
The preliminary round matches of both competitions will also be played over one leg instead of the normal two legs.
‘After monitoring the political and security situation in Guinea and following careful consideration, the CAF Interclub Committee has decided that all three fixtures involving clubs from Guinea in the preliminary stages will be played in a single leg at the opponent’s territory in accordance to Article 2.1 of the CAF Interclub Regulations,’ CAF said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the revised fixtures, Wakriya AC will play Diambars FC of Senegal in the Confederation Cup in Thiès this Sunday. On September 19, Anglogold will travel to Yenagoa to play Nigeria’s Bayelsa United in the Confederation Cup and CI Kamsar will be hosted in Accra by Hearts of Oak of Ghana for their Champions League tie.
Horoya AC, Guinea’s other representative in the Champions League, have a bye into the second round in October.
The decision by CAF was necessitated by the military takeover in the West African nation on Sunday which saw President Alpha Conde detained by the Special Forces. The military subsequently announced the dissolution of the government, suspension of the constitution and the closure of the country’s borders.
The country’s land and air borders have, however, since been reopened for commercial and humanitarian reasons.
CAF’s announcement is the latest blow to Guinean football after the continental governing body also indefinitely suspended the World Cup qualifier between Guinea and Morocco due to the prevailing political and security situation.