(Reuters) – Four-times African champions Esperance of Tunisia have been ordered by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to play four home games behind closed doors due to violent incidents involving their fans, they said on Friday.
Their match against Algeria’s JS Kabylie at the Rades Stadium was disrupted last Saturday and the return leg of the quarter-final was interrupted by violence which caused a 40-minute delay in the second half.
Esperance fans clashed with security forces and lit fireworks on the terraces, causing several small fires in front of the stands.
Esperance said they will also be fined $300,000. Two of the four games of the stadium ban will be suspended for 12 months if there are no further incidents.
Esperance progressed to the semi-finals with a 2-1 aggregate win over JS Kabylie and will host Al-Ahly of Egypt in the first leg on Friday.
Esperance said they will appeal against the punishment.
(Reporting by Latifa Guesmi; writing by Osama Khairy, editing by Ed Osmond)
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