Why Al Hilal deem Kenya Police FC player eligibility appeal baseless
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Reading Time: 3min | Tue. 28.10.25. | 11:15
If Hilal are found guilty, they could be expelled from the competition, with Police taking their place in the group stage
Al Hilal Omdurman of Sudan have dismissed Kenya Police FC’s appeal at CAF regarding the eligibility of some of their players, who featured in the CAF Champions League second round second leg match played last Friday, terming the complaint as baseless.
The Kenyan side had played the return leg under protest after Hilal secured a 1-0 advantage in the first leg in Nairobi.
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Hilal then sealed progression to the group stage of Africa’s premier club competition with a 3-1 win in the return leg held in Benghazi, Libya, finishing the tie 4-1 on aggregate.
Before the return leg, Police raised eligibility concerns over three Hilal players.
While the Sudan Football Association allows clubs to register up to 10 foreign players, Hilal fielded 13.
Police contested the participation of goalkeeper Soufian Farid Ouédraogo from Burkina Faso, Nigerian striker Sunday Damilare Adetunji, who scored twice in the match, and Congolese left-back Ernest Luzolo, arguing that the trio was not registered with the Sudan FA and therefore should not have played.
The matter has been filed with CAF, which is expected to issue a ruling.
If Hilal are found guilty, they could be expelled from the competition, with Police taking their place in the group stage.
Conversely, if the appeal lacks merit, Kenya Police could face financial sanctions.
As the two clubs await the verdict, Hilal has issued a statement, through club Secretary General Dr. Hassan Ali Issa, dismissing the appeal.
The statement emphasized that the complaint is unfounded and reaffirmed the club’s focus on the group stage.
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“I congratulate Al Hilal fans on qualifying for the group stage. This is our natural position. We want to reassure our fans that our stance regarding the complaint from Police FC is completely sound,” the statement read in part.
“The complaint is baseless. We reviewed all its details, and our legal position is completely correct. The registration of our players was done legally under the supervision of both the Sudanese and African football federations, so there is no reason for concern.”
The club further noted that they had received confirmation from CAF regarding their group stage participation and had been asked to select venues for their home matches.
“The way CAF handled Al Hilal after the match further proves that the complaint has no real value. Once again, congratulations to Al Hilal for qualifying for the group stage. The club’s board has been invited to the draw ceremony in Johannesburg. CAF has also sent a list of approved stadiums for us to choose from to host our home matches in the group stage,” the statement added.
