Acting on a complaint from Hafia FC, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ordered the suspension of the two-legged tie between AS Douanes and CR Belouizdad. The Algiers side was already in Nouakchott, where the first leg was due to be played on Saturday.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ordered provisional measures suspending the two-legged tie between AS Douanes and CR Belouizdad, at the request of Hafia FC, Bénin Web TV reports. The order bars both matches from taking place before 6 November 2026.
The first leg was scheduled for this Saturday, 17 October in Nouakchott, according to RimSPORT; the return leg was to be played between 23 and 25 October in Algeria, per Bénin Web TV. The decision does not concern the merits: CAS must still rule in Lausanne, before any rescheduling by CAF after 6 November.
In Nouakchott, everything was ready
CR Belouizdad was already in the Mauritanian capital, where it had trained at the Cheikha Boïdiya stadium before being notified, according to RimSPORT. The pre-match technical meeting had even been held on Friday morning at the FFRIM headquarters, the same outlet adds.
In other words, the first leg was looming in Nouakchott when the CAS decision brought it to a halt. AS Douanes and CR Belouizdad are therefore left waiting, with no firm date to settle matters.
The dispute dates back to 11 September
The case has its origins in the first preliminary round, where Guinea’s Hafia FC faced AS Douanes. On 11 September 2026, the AS Douanes plane did not take off for Conakry; CAF then cited force majeure to postpone the match, Bénin Web TV reports. The club went on to beat Hafia 1-0 on 19 September to qualify.
Hafia FC turned to CAS. According to Guinee114, the court noted that CAF’s force majeure decision was not reasoned and that Hafia’s internal appeal, lodged on 16 September, had gone unanswered.
The complaining club’s version
The Hafia Football Club management has spoken about the order. In comments reported by Guinee114, it states: “After examining the Hafia FC application, CAS ordered CAF to postpone the two-legged second preliminary round tie between AS Douanes and CR Belouizdad (Algeria), initially scheduled for 17 October 2026 (first leg) and 23 to 25 October 2026 (return leg).”
This is the complaining club’s reading, which does not prejudge what comes next. CAS has so far ruled only on provisional measures, without deciding the merits. No new date has been set at this stage.