TP Mazembe have revealed that it has finally received approval from government granting officials from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) visas to travel into the DR Congo for this weekend’s African Football League quarter-final clash against Tunisian side Esperance Sportive des Tunis.
Mazembe supporters took to the streets of Lubumbashi on Tuesday afternoon in a solidarity march to protest against President Fèlix Tshisekedi and his government’s decision to block the club from hosting the match in the DR Congo in a malicious political scheme to frustrate opposition leader Moïse Katumbi who owns the club.
However, Mazembe Sporting Director Frederic Kitenge revealed that government has since alerted the club that it had approved issuance of 60 visas for officials from CAF posted at the match.
Kitenge expressed disappointment at the Direction Générale de Migration (DGM) delayed correspondence to grant CAF officials and broadcast equipment access which had come too late with Mazembe settling to play the match in Tanzania.
“Yesterday at 20:00, the management of the DGM sent me a folder of nearly 60 visas. We say a big thank you but if this had happened on Sunday morning as I explained to their manager, we wouldn’t be here. It is a waste of time and useless” Kitenge said.
It remains to be seen whether Mazembe will rescind their decision to play the fixture in Tanzania following government’s approval of the visas.
