The Organising Committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF, has disqualified Rwanda from the qualifiers of the African Cup of Nations, Morocco 2015.
The decision followed a protest made by the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) during the first leg match of the second round of qualifying played against Rwanda on 20 July 2014 in Pointe-Noire.
Congo contested the eligibility of the player, Birori Dady, aligned with Rwanda, and plays for the AS Vita Club of Kinshasa with Congolese (DRC) passport as Etekiama Agiti Tady, and with a different age.
Following investigations by CAF on the basis of documents provided by the federations of Rwanda, Congo and DR Congo, and hearing the player’s testimony on August 11, 2014 at CAF headquarters in Cairo, the football body established that the two identities only referred to a single person.
While the Rwandan Football Federation (FERWAFA) maintained that to their knowledge the player Dady Birori had one identity, investigations revealed that he was summoned as Etekiama Agiti Tady to join the national team of Rwanda.
Based on these and other findings, the Organising Committee of the Cup of Nations, in accordance with Article 41 of the regulations of the tournament, and Articles 82 and 83.1 of CAF Disciplinary Code, decided as follows:
1. Immediately suspend the player Etekiama Agiti Tady/Birori Dady until further notice and ban him from playing for club and the national team
2. Rwanda declared losers of Match No.37 against Congo, and consequently being eliminated from the competition
3. Consign Congo to the group phase of the qualifiers of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations – Morocco 2015 in Group A, as replacement for Rwanda
4. Reserved the right to confirm the exact length of the player’s suspension and to impose additional sanctions if necessary at the next meeting of the Organising Committee scheduled for 17 September 2014
5. Urged players and stakeholders to regulate the situation of dual identity
The decision of the Committee takes effect immediately and with option for appeal in accordance with the regulatory provisions in force in CAF Disciplinary Code.
Congo now takes Rwanda’s slot to join Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan in Group A.
