AS Douanes travel crisis puts CAF Confederation Cup return in doubt

AS Douanes are yet to travel to Guinea for their CAF Confederation Cup second-leg tie against Hafia, with the Mauritanian side facing uncertainty over whether they will be able to fulfil the fixture.

The match is scheduled for Friday at 16:00 GMT, but Douanes had not arrived in Guinea ahead of kick-off after a series of problems disrupted their travel arrangements.

Sources indicate that the main issue was a delay in securing a flight.

The Mauritanian Football Federation had proposed that Douanes travel from Nouakchott to Dakar before taking a connecting flight from the Senegalese capital to Guinea.

However, the club rejected that option and instead requested a special flight to take the squad directly to Guinea.

The Mauritanian FA subsequently arranged an aircraft for the team on Thursday, but the plane developed a technical problem, preventing Douanes from travelling as planned.

The situation has left the club racing against time to reach Guinea for the decisive second leg.

Douanes were also absent from Thursday’s pre-match technical meeting, adding to uncertainty surrounding their participation in the fixture.

Hafia have since formally contacted the Confederation of African Football (CAF), informing the governing body that they had received no official communication from AS Douanes regarding the Mauritanian club’s arrival in Guinea.

The circumstances could now have significant implications for the competition.

The first leg in Mauritania ended 2-2, leaving the tie finely balanced ahead of the return match.

However, if Douanes fail to honour the second leg, CAF’s regulations could become central to determining the outcome.

Article XI.3 of the CAF Confederation Cup regulations states that a team that withdraws or declines to play the second leg after hosting the first match must pay US$15,000 to the federation of the visiting team as compensation for the injury suffered by the host club.

The regulation could therefore become relevant if Douanes are unable to travel and are deemed to have failed to fulfil the fixture.

CAF will now have to assess the circumstances surrounding the club’s absence, including the flight arrangements, the technical problem with the aircraft and the lack of communication with Hafia, before deciding what action, if any, should be taken.

For now, Hafia remain prepared for the scheduled second leg, while Douanes face a race against time to resolve their travel problems and avoid potentially serious consequences in the Confederation Cup.