September 4 – One of eight clubs to feature in a slimmed-down African Super League, Angola’s Petro de Luanda, has been suspended for two years by the Angolan Football Federation (FAF) for alleged match-fixing.
In a statement, FAF punished four clubs for alleged match-fixing and corruption. They are Kabuscorp, Académica, 1º de Agosto and Petro de Luanda, the leading club in the country, defending champions, holders of the domestic cup and Angola’s representative in the continent’s new premier club competition, the African Football League (AFL).
At the heart of Petro de Luanda’s suspension from all Angolan competitions is an audio file, that went viral, in which Petro player Márcio Luvambo is heard confirming that the two-time champions paid Académica do Lobito three million kwanzas (€3,300) to fix a match in last season’s Angolan Cup.
FAF issued the “suspension with immediate effect of Club Atlético Petro de Luanda from all football activities, for a period of two years, and consequently prevented from taking part in any sporting competition during this period, for failure to comply with the duty of collaboration to which it is subject.”
Petro de Luanda president Tomas Faria spoke of the “enormous strangeness” of the suspension and rejected all the allegations.
“First of all, it is important to clarify a fundamental point, in a statement that easily confuses people: the alleged conviction of Petro de Luanda, which resulted in our suspension, will be taken to the FAF jurisdictional body in the appeal, and is, I reiterate, not related to cases of corruption, but rather due to an alleged lack of truth and duty of collaboration,” said Faria.
“Because it is very important, I repeat again: Atletico PetróIeos de Luanda is not or has not been involved in any acts of corruption, has not been indicted or accused of any practice of corruption and has not been convicted on direct or indirect grounds related to acts related to disruption.”
Faria said his club will challenge the decision of FAF’s disciplinary committee at the judiciary committee of the federation and that his club remains eligible to play in continental competitions.
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