CAF Disqualifies Rwanda From AFCON Qualifiers

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.