The Rwanda Federation (Ferwafa) is set to fight up to the last means in their appeal over the disqualification from the AFCON 2015 Qualifiers.
“Should the case go against us, we shall forward the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports”, a source within the federation is quoted by the Rwandan daily, New Times.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) Board of Appeals set the hearing of the case for Wednesday, August 27th 2014.
The appeals board convenes next week to discuss Rwanda’s appeal over a disqualification decision after allegedly fielding an ineligible player, Daddy Birori.
The CAF Organizing Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations on August 17th 2014 banned Rwanda from the AFCON 2015 qualifiers for allegedly fielding an ineligible player, Daddy Birori, who plays for DR Congo side AS Vita Club under a different identity – Agiti Tady Etakiama.
The decision was taken based on a petition filed by Congo after the first leg of the last qualifier between Congo and Rwanda in Pointe-Noire on July 20, which the Amavubi lost 2-0 to the eventual petitioners.
The CAF Committee ruled that Birori indeed held two different passports (for Rwanda and DR Congo) contrary to football rules with different dates of birth.
As a result, Congo, who had been eliminated by Rwanda through penalty shootouts after the latter canceled out the deficit from the first leg, was consigned to Group A as replacement for Rwanda, joining Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan for the final phase of the qualifiers.
The Federation of Rwanda Football (Ferwafa) on Monday held a crisis meeting and decided to appeal the ruling to Caf appeals board, with the official protest filed on Tuesday.
Rwanda says Birori had no Congolese passport the time he was issued with Rwandan passport.
Birori has previously featured for 4 Rwandan clubs – Kibuye, Mukura, SC Kiyovu and Atraco, all of which he played under the name Birori before he transferred to Democratic Republic of Congo’s AS Vita.
Uganda Crans striker, Yunus ‘Junior’ Sentamu plays for AS Vita.