Ineligible players could cause qualifying chaos
Source: AFP |
June 20, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TOGO has joined Ethiopia in admitting that it fielded a suspended player in a 2014 World Cup Africa zone qualifier.
A Togolese football federation spokesman told reporters yesterday that Marseille midfielder Alaixys Romao should not have started a June 8 Group I home game against Cameroon.
"Alaixys received yellow cards in two earlier matches but we did not check if he was eligible before selecting him for the Cameroon match," the official conceded.
An Ethiopian official said on Tuesday they fielded midfielder Manyahile Beyene in a 2-1 away win at Botswana, also on June 8, when he was suspended having been yellow-carded in two previous games.
FIFA revealed last weekend it was probing several matches for the possible use of ineligible players, including the June 9 match between Togo and Cameroon in Lome.
If found guilty, Togo will most likely have a 2-0 victory changed to a 0-3 defeat, giving the World Cup hopes of six-time qualifier Cameroon a huge boost. Cameroon is two points behind Libya ahead of a September showdown in Yaounde to decide who wins the group, but a "boardroom victory" would move it into a one-point lead.
Assuming Ethiopia is also docked three points, eliminated Group A rivals South Africa and Botswana would come back into contention for first place and a ticket to the five-tie playoffs.
A Togolese football federation spokesman told reporters yesterday that Marseille midfielder Alaixys Romao should not have started a June 8 Group I home game against Cameroon.
"Alaixys received yellow cards in two earlier matches but we did not check if he was eligible before selecting him for the Cameroon match," the official conceded.
An Ethiopian official said on Tuesday they fielded midfielder Manyahile Beyene in a 2-1 away win at Botswana, also on June 8, when he was suspended having been yellow-carded in two previous games.
FIFA revealed last weekend it was probing several matches for the possible use of ineligible players, including the June 9 match between Togo and Cameroon in Lome.
If found guilty, Togo will most likely have a 2-0 victory changed to a 0-3 defeat, giving the World Cup hopes of six-time qualifier Cameroon a huge boost. Cameroon is two points behind Libya ahead of a September showdown in Yaounde to decide who wins the group, but a "boardroom victory" would move it into a one-point lead.
Assuming Ethiopia is also docked three points, eliminated Group A rivals South Africa and Botswana would come back into contention for first place and a ticket to the five-tie playoffs.
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