Kenya Police Tormentors Al Hilal Slapped With Millions in CAF Fines

Al Hilal, who ousted Kenya Police, face millions in CAF fines following chaotic scenes after their match against MC Alger.

Sudanese football giants Al Hilal Omdurman have been dealt a heavy blow by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Disciplinary Committee following chaotic scenes in Kigali. 

The club, which recently ended Kenya Police FC's continental dreams, received official correspondence on Thursday detailing severe sanctions linked to the events preceding their CAF Champions League group stage opener against MC Alger.

The disciplinary hammer fell hard on key figures within the Sudanese outfit.  Burundian import Jean-Claude Girumugisha has been suspended for three matches and slapped with a fine of $5,000 (approximately Ksh 648,000). 

Similarly, performance analyst Walid Sharshari faces a three-match ban and a matching fine of $ 5,000 (Ksh 648,000). The club itself was not spared, receiving a hefty fine of $15,000 (approximately Ksh 1.94 million) for their part in the post-match skirmishes in the Rwandan capital.

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These punitive measures stem from the events that unfolded immediately after Al Hilal secured a 2-1 victory over Algerian side MC Alger at the Amahoro Stadium. 

The club board has expressed outrage at the decision, claiming the penalties contradict the reports filed by match officials which allegedly pointed to aggression from the opponents rather than the Sudanese side.

"The Board of Directors of Al-Hilal Club have announced their complete rejection of the penalties, describing them as unfair and biased against Al-Hilal. They stated that the penalties do not reflect the truth or the reality of the events that accompanied the match, nor do they align with the reports of the match observer and the security coordinator, both of whom indicated that members of the technical staff and players were targeted by MC Alger and faced attempts of physical assault," the club statement reads in part.

Al Hilal has wasted no time in mobilizing a legal defense to contest the ruling. The board has engaged their legal representative  to spearhead an immediate appeal to the continental football governing body.

The Blue Wave contends they possess video evidence that exonerates their staff and players, showing the events "without any falsification." They have threatened to escalate the matter to CAS  if they do not find justice within CAF's internal structures.

The controversy marks what was otherwise a successful start to the group stage for the Blues.

 In a tense encounter, Al Hilal took the lead through Abdelrazek Omar just before the break. Although MC Alger equalized via a Mustafa Kershom own goal in the 53rd minute, Mohamed Abdelrahman restored the lead in the 75th minute, securing three points despite the team finishing with ten men after Salah Adel’s late dismissal.

Police FC's Brief Cameo

The sanctioning of Al Hilal comes just weeks after they proved to be the undoing of Kenya Police FC. The Kenyan law enforcers, making their debut in the elite continental competition, were handed a 4-1 aggregate defeat by the Sudanese powerhouse in the second preliminary round. 

It was a baptism of fire for the Kenyan champions, who found the pedigree of the Omdurman-based club too much to handle across the two legs.

Kenya Police lost the first leg 1-0 at home before falling 3-1 in the return leg played in Libya. 

In that decisive fixture, Adetunji starred with a brace and Salem added another for Al Hilal, ensuring the Kenyans' maiden voyage in Africa was cut short. Eric Zakayo managed to score a consolation goal for Police , but the gap in experience was evident as Al Hilal marched on to the group stages where the current drama has now unfolded.