By Andrew Warshaw
January 10 – The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) has turned down Namibia’s bid to take Burkino Faso’s place at the forthcoming African Cup of Nations, which starts on January 21.
The Namibians claimed Burkino Faso used an ineligible player, Herve Zengue (pictured), in qualifying but lost their case.
In a statement CAS said Zengue, born in Cameroon but married to a Burkino Fasu citizen, “took residency in Burkina Faso in 1994”.
It said he was given nationality in 2006 and received a five-year passport in March 2011.
Zengue appeared in both qualifying matches between the sides but has not been selected for the finals themselves where his adopted country faces Angola, Sudan and favourites Ivory Coast.
The case was fast-tracked because a place in the finals, being staged jointly by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon 2012, hinged on the verdict.
Namibia’s Football Association had twice protested to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over Zengue’s presence in Burkina Faso’s team.
After Africa’s ruling body rejected both of those appeals, Namibia’s FA was hopeful that CAS would find in its favour.
It said it was “dismayed” at the latest ruling.
“We are disappointed and we don’t know how they (CAS) have reached this decision to dismiss our case but we will accept the decision and move on and plan forward,” said NFA secretary general Barry Rukoro, who attended the hearing in Lausanne.
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