The confederation representing Jamaica who were defeated by DR Congo in the intercontinental play-off opponents has issued a strong statement condemning the decision not to expel DR Congo for fielding an ineligible player against Nigeria, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
DR Congo defeated Nigeria on penalties to qualify for the international playoff, and Nigeria protested that they fielded an Ineligible player but it was dismissed by FIFA.
However recent reports by the New York Times confirmed that Nigeria’s protest was indeed valid, and FIFA confirmed that it was dismissed on technical grounds.
While investigating the complaint, FIFA found that Congo had never completed documentation to allow the goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi to switch affiliations after he played for France’s youth teams, according to the documents.
In the Congo case, FIFA officials drew up possible options, including awarding the match to Nigeria, imposing fines, replacing Congo with Nigeria in the playoff against Jamaica, or doing nothing on the grounds that Nigeria had filed its complaint late, the documents show.
The regional football body representing Jamaica has responded to the developing story:
“CONCACAF takes player eligibility matters very seriously and expects the applicable regulations and procedures to be applied consistently and fairly in all competitions.
“Any concerns regarding player eligibility, particularly those that may affect the integrity of a competition or the interests of one of our member associations, should be thoroughly reviewed and addressed through FIFA’s appropriate governance and disciplinary bodies, in accordance with established regulations and due process.”
Confederation of African Football (CAF) is expected to also make a statement soon.
