Before facing Siyabonga Ngezana's FCSB, an African-born manager has been handed a nine-match ban for squaring up with a referee.
Check Out: Official: FIFA Ban African Coach For Sexual Abuse
The Bafana Bafana international and his teammates will begin their journey to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals when they face French giants Olympique Lyon on Thursday evening. However, the Ligue 1 side have received some disastrous news before their clash in Europe, as their head coach Paulo Fonseca has been handed a nine-month ban.
Fonseca was given a straight red card during Lyon's 2-1 win over Brest in March and reacted angrily, squaring up to the primary match official, Benoît Millot, and pushing his head into his face.
It is believed that the Maputo native has apologised to Millot for the incident but will now be barred from the touchline, the bench, the dressing rooms, and any official functions before, during, or after matches until 30 November.
President of the French league's disciplinary committee, Sébastien Deneux, said, as per Goal.
"The commission deplores that once again, a major player in Ligue 1 has adopted such behaviour and renounced a requirement and an ambition of responsibility.
"Mr Fonseca is a Ligue 1 coach. He is above all an educator. It goes without saying that this attitude is strictly incompatible with these functions. The committee found that Mr Fonseca's attitude, throwing himself towards the referee, yelling at him, to the point that they found themselves head to head, is an attitude characteristic of intimidating and threatening behaviour.
Check Out: Mothiba's Six Superstar Ex-Teammates From Europe
"The committee therefore sanctions Mr Fonseca with a suspension from the touchline and referee's locker room until 30 November 2025. Because it also finds that this is serious misconduct, this sanction will also cover access to his own locker room before, during, and after the match until 15 September 2025."
