DR Congo giants TP Mazembe have sacked their head coach Franck Dumas following their shock exit from the CAF champions League preliminaries.

Mazembe, on Saturday were eliminated by Ugandan side Vipers 4-2 in penalties, denying them a chance of reaching the group stages of this competition.

And a few hours later after their exit, the club through a released statement from the club president Moise Katumbi confirmed the that they have parted ways with their head coach Franck Dumas.

“This Saturday, October 15, 2022, president Moise Katumbi and coach Mr. Franck Dumas, parted ways in a friendly manner. The president that led the coach for the work done and wished him a safe journey. Mr. Franck Dumas, on his part expressed his winded of full success to TP Mazembe and his supporters,” reads a statement released on the club’s social media handles.

Furthermore, the president, Katumbi has also suspended the committee with immediate effect, with only the exception of team secretary, Mr. Hi Lauren Kabila.

Dumas had joined Mazembe in July 2021, but has always been criticized for his poor performance especially in CAF completions.

And on Saturday, his side once again failed to break a well organized Vipers side with the game ending goalless, just as it was in Kitende, only for the tie to be decided from the penalties.

In penalties, Vipers won 4-2 to to storm their first ever CAF champions League group stages.

As a result, Mazembe dropped to the CAF confederation cup, and will have to go through playoffs, which is a step away from the groups.

In March 2020, Pamphile Mihayo was fired as TP Mazembe head coach after failing to guide the side to CAF Champions League semi-finals. 

TP Mazembe were knocked out of the Champions League by Moroccan side Raja Casablanca after going down 2-1 on aggregate. They lost 2-0 in Morocco a week ago before winning 1-0 in Lubumbashi.

The club president Moise Katumbi released a statement the following day stating that Mihayo and his assistant Charles Musonda will leave their roles with immediate effect. 

“I would like to thank coach Pamphile Mihayo Kazembe and Charles Musonda for all that they have done tp the team. The pair will be back at the club in future and continue building whatever they had. That is why they will be headed to Europe for further training,” he said in the statement.

Mihayo, a former Mazembe captain, was at the club since April 2017 after taking over from Serbian Drazen Cvetkovic.