AFC Leopards’ hopes of being reinstated to the Mozzart Bet Cup have gone up in smoke after the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) dismissed their appeal that sought to overturn their expulsion from the competition.Follow our WhatsApp channel for more newsLeopards moved to the Tribunal to challenge a decision by the Football Kenya Federation Leagues and Competitions Committee to expel them from the tournament for engineering the abandonment of their Round of 32 clash against Mara Sugar FC.Leopards were kicked out of the tournament following the unfortunate incident of pitch invasion in the 89th minute of their game against Mara that was staged in Kisumu. APS Bomet boss reveals secret behind increase in fan attendanceAccording to FKF, Leopards fans stormed the pitch to protest the referee’s decision to overturn a previously awarded penalty. This is the second time Leopards have unsuccessfully appealed against their removal from the competition, whose winner will represent the country in next season’s CAF Confederation Cup.##NAJAVA_MECA_8931528##Before moving to the Tribunal, Ingwe, in an effort to exhaust all relevant dispute resolution mechanisms, attempted to overturn the decision through the FKF Appeals Committee, but did not secure a favourable ruling. Having failed to save their bid for the title at FKF, Leopards moved to the Tribunal on 12 May seeking several prayers, key among them is their re-admission to the competition.Stands structure almost complete in Talanta Stadium latest updates [VIDEO]However, the Tribunal dismissed Leopards’ appeal in its entirety, upheld FKF’s decision to expel the 2017 champions and gave Mara Sugar the green light to proceed in the tournament.”The Appeal filed by AFC Leopards SC and dates 12th May 2025 is hereby dismissed in its entirety.The decision of the Football Kenya Federation Appeals Committee affirming the Leagues and Competitions Committee’s ruling is hereby upheld with the consequences that Mara Sugar FC proceeds to the next round of the knockout tournament, ” read the Tribunal’s ruling.Harambee Stars prospect among eight dropped by Swansea CityFollowing the ruling by the Tribunal, Mara Sugar progresses to the Round of 16, where they will face Compel FC in a match slated for Wednesday at Kenyatta Stadium from 1pm.The winner of the match will face defending champions Kenya Police in the quarterfinals set for 25 May at Dandora Stadium.
