FC Les Aigles du Congo lose appeal as Mazembe keep title

TP Mazembe will keep the Congolese Ligue 1 title after FECOFA rejected FC Les Aigles du Congo’s challenge in the Bingi Belo case. The decision preserves the championship outcome in favour of the Lubumbashi club and leaves Les Aigles of Kinshasa without the change they sought.

FECOFA’s Commission for Discipline and Competitions ruled that the complaint was admissible but lacked sufficient grounds. Les Aigles had questioned Bingi Belo’s eligibility, saying the player did not have a licence issued by the national football federation and had taken part using an identity card.

The commission did not accept that the material submitted by the Kinshasa club established an intention by Mazembe to commit fraud. As a result, it found no basis for imposing a sporting sanction that could have altered the title outcome. Mazembe therefore remain champions of the national top flight.

The decision follows an earlier ruling at LINAFOOT level, which Les Aigles had challenged through an appeal to FECOFA. The Kinshasa club still has the option of continuing the case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Its president, Vidiye Tshimanga, had previously identified that avenue as a possible next step. FECOFA announced the latest decision on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, bringing the federation process to its current stage.