KIGALI, May 23- African champions TP Mazembe were kicked out of the on-going East and Central Africa club championship on Sunday after several players attacked match officials, tournament officials said.The fracas kicked off when skipper Tresor Mputu Mabi attacked the assistant referee from Burundi and the other players joined in, leading the match to be abandoned.
Congolese side Mazembe were trailing 1-0 against APR of Rwanda in what was a decisive preliminary round match.
TP Mazembe had been given a special invitation as a guest team to the regional championship, but CECAFA secretary Nicholas Musonye said the Lubumbashi club had shown the highest level of indiscipline, having behaved likewise during the 2009 tournament held in Sudan.
"We have been nice to them by inviting them to our tournaments but they have abused our hospitality by continuously being a nuisance," Musonye said.
Mazembe had already qualified for the quarter-finals along with APR and Vital O of Burundi and their place has been taken by Djibouti Telcom.
Mabi, who led TP Mazembe to win their first African Champions League title in 40 years last year, was shown a red card for the offence.
