FIFA probe ineligible players
Mon, 17 Jun 2013
8:51 AM

FIFA said Sunday they are probing whether Ethiopia, Togo and Equatorial Guinea each used an ineligible player in 2014 World Cup qualifiers. The standard punishment given by the world football governing body is that a guilty team surrenders any points they gained and their opponents are awarded a 3-0 victory.

FIFA found Burkina Faso, Gabon and Sudan guilty of fielding ineligible players in qualifiers for Brazil and opponents Congo-Brazzavile, Niger and Zambia respectively were declared 3-0 winners.

Matches being investigated are the 2-1 win by Ethiopia in Botswana and the 2-0 win by Togo at home to Cameroon during June and the 4-3 home victory of Equatorial Guinea over the Cape Verde Islands last March.

Equatorial Guinea appealed against an unpublished FIFA disciplinary committee decision relating to the Malabo match and the follow-up proceedings have not been finalised.

Should Group A winners Ethiopia lose the three points, they would no longer be certain of qualifying for the play-offs with South Africa and Botswana back in contention.

Cameroon, who trail Libya by two points in Group I, could take a one-point lead into a September match with the North Africans if Togo broke World Cup regulations.

A verdict against Equatorial Guinea would put the Group B qualification of Tunisia on hold as the five-point gap between them and second-place Cape Verde would shrink to two points.

The FIFA statement did not name the Ethiopian, Togolese or Equatoguinean footballers being investigated nor give a date when the findings will be released.

http://sport.iafrica.com/news/865408.html

One wonders why we Africans like breaking rules and cheat even in sports were its all suppose to be for fun and relationship building. Well, Africa cannot be trusted they always need to put extra monitering systems in place. If not age issies its intentionally fielding players who are ineligible. Ke Matata fela!

Fifa probe overshadows Ethiopia win
16 June 2013
Updated 22:17 GMT

Ethiopia's progress to the final round of African World Cup qualifying is in doubt after Fifa opened disciplinary proceedings against them on Sunday. Earlier in the day, the East Africans beat South Africa 2-1 in Addis Ababa to seemingly reach the African play-offs.

However, they now face accusations they fielded an ineligible player in the 2-1 win over Botswana on 8 June.
Fifa rules state any team found guilty of that offence "will be sanctioned by forfeiting the match".

Ethiopian Football Federation president Sehilu Gebremariam is still confident his side can progress. "This is shocking news -but the point is that we are still leading the group, we believe that we shall still qualify for the next stage," he told the BBC's Newsday programme.

"We are scrutinizing the situation and we will give information to Fifa and to the public." He said they would be consulting the coaching staff to get their views on the situation before reacting further.

Football's world governing body is also investigating Togo and Equatorial Guinea for the same reason. A guilty verdict against all the sides would have serious ramifications in three of the qualifying groups for next year's World Cup in Brazil.

The case against the Ethiopians is pressing, as a guilty verdict would hand a lifeline back to 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa. Currently five points off the top of Group A, South Africa would only be two points behind if the Ethiopians have to forfeit their victory against Botswana -and receive a technical defeat instead.

The announcement of Fifa's probes will not only encourage South African football fans, but also those of Cameroon and Cape Verde.

Cameroon were beaten 2-0 by Togo on 9 June but the six-time World Cup qualifiers now stand to gain the three points should the Togolese be found guilty. Such a scenario would move Cameroon, who currently trail Group I leaders Libya by two points, a point clear in the table. The West Africans host Libya in what is both sides' final encounter in September.

Equatorial Guinea allegedly fielded an ineligible player in their 4-3 defeat of island nation Cape Verde in March.

Fifa says they recently ruled on that matter and that the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations co-hosts have appealed the decision. Should island nation Cape Verde receive the points from a match they originally lost, the passage of Tunisia to the African play-offs would also be in question.

The Carthage Eagles drew 1-1 in Equatorial Guinea on Sunday to seemingly book their place, but a technical victory for Cape Verde would lift the islanders up to nine points -just two behind the North Africans. Tunisia host Cape Verde on the final day of the current qualifying stage. Ethiopia progress as S Africa exit

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22930519

Inoccent till proven otherwise. Anyway of they are indeed guilty they will have to face the consequences. It will teach them that " Crime doesn't Pay". Will be watching this closely.