The Reds over the weekend welcomed the Congolese giants for the first leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round of qualifiers.
The tie that was played last (Sunday) evening had faced a dilemma after the venue, the National Stadium was double booked. The venue was booked for a religious event by The Everlasting Light of Hope International Ministries.
The occasion dubbed 'Botswana For Christ Crusade With Wiseman Daniel', was to be held on Friday and Saturday. This meant that AS Vita was denied some of the pre-match practices, as the Congolese side could not ‘feel’ the National Stadium before the match day.
The visiting side used the Royal Aria Stadium as training ground. The clash between the two sides, however, proceeded without any squabble. But Monitor Sport has been informed that AS Vita has since filed an official complaint to CAF.
This publication could not get a comment from AS Vita though. However, Congolese football scribe, Etienne Kambala of online publication Eventsrdc disclosed that the Gaborone giants could soon be brought before the book by CAF as AS Vita has filed a formal complaint through the Congolese football governing body, FECOFA (Fédération Congolaise de Football Associaition). “Vita hints that during the day, yesterday (Saturday), a church occupied the Botswana National Stadium. A complaint has been filed to CAF through FECOFA.
This is the information that was given by communication manager of Vita (Prince Leivain Nzazi),” Kambala said. The team’s head coach, Raoul Sungu bemoaned the reception the club received saying it had an impact on how his team played on the evening. “Of course, the welcome had an impact on our team. We spent probably a day travelling; it was really tiring.
You could see when the game started we were a bit slow and as it went on we picked up, but it (reception) had an impact of course,” he said. AS Vita, in a pre match briefing, had stated the team had problems at the immigration with the traveling members’ passports. GU’s coach, Benny Kgomela on the other hand said the team expects a hostile reception from the DRC for the return leg to be played on Sunday.
“We have prepared our boys that we might encounter problems that side. We are leaving on Friday and we will do all our preparations here at home so that when we get there we are left with just final touches. As per what they say in terms of the way we treated them here, we should counter anything that may plan against us,” he said. The Reds walked away as 1-0 victors on Sunday evening.
