The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has slapped Congolese club, TP Mazembe with a $5000 fine and a one-year ban for a club official for assaulting a referee during the club’s loss  to Orlando Pirates in an African Champions League game last April in Soweto.

The Congolese club have since denied the assault claim stating that the assailant is not an official of their football club.

However, CAF found TP Mazembe guilty of obstructing justice claiming that the club hid the assailant in their dressing room while the police tried to arrest him.

TP Mazembe is a succesful club based in Lubumbashi with average attendances of 18, 000 every home game and a reported revenue of €14 million  ($19 million). The club in the 2010 FIFA World Club Cup competition and enjoyed a memorable run that ended with a 3-0 loss to Internazionale of Italy in the final.