CAF Maintain Rwanda’s Disqualification From 2015 Afcon Qualifiers

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has today maintained Rwanda’s disqualification from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier.

Rwanda's national football team line-up before a match — Rwanda’s national football team line-up before a match

Bonnie Mugabe, the Rwanda FA (FERWAFA) Media and Communications Officer told our reporter on phone from Kigali that they have received communication from CAF indicating that their appeal was not successful. He however said their officials and lawyers are now anaylzing the letter to find a way forward.

On August 17th CAF disqualified Rwanda after Congo Brazzaville lodged a protest over the eligibility of Amavubi striker Birori Dady, who plays for DR Congo side AS Vita Club under a different passport, as Etekiama Agiti Tady, and a different age.

CAF said their investigations found that the DR Congo-born striker was born December 12, 1986 as it is indicated in his Rwandan passport, while his Congolese passport indicates that he was born on December 13, 1990.

Rwanda FA officials Vincent Nzamwita (President), Olivier Mulindahabi (secretary general) and the Legal affairs head Emmanuel Ndagijimana faced the CAF Appeals Committee on August 27th in Cairo, Egypt.

But Mulindahabi has said they are now likely to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Congo Brazzaville who benefited from Rwanda’s disqualification are meant to face African Champions Nigeria away in Calabar on September 6th in the first group game of the qualifiers.

Uganda, Ethiopia and Sudan remain the only nations in the Council for East and central African Football Associations (CECAFA) region who will participate in the Group stages of the 2015 Afcon qualifiers which start next weekend.