CAF disqualify Chad national team

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no

<Story by CHISHALA MUSONDA

CHAD has been disqualified from competing in the 2010 Africa Cup qualifiers after failing to fulfill the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup opening Group 10 fixture against Sudan in Khartoum at the weekend.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) disqualified Chad today after an emergency committee studied circumstances leading to the un-played match at the weekend.

Other nations in Group 10 are Mali and Congo-Brazzaville. Mali leads the group after the first group match following their 4-2 win over Congo.

CAF stated on the http://www.cafonline.com: “CAF emergency committee decided to disqualify the Chad national team from the preliminaries of the African Nations Cup – Angola 2010.

“Only the matches played between the other three teams will be taken into account for the qualification of the second round of the preliminaries of the African Cup of Nations.

“The decision is final and takes effect as of today,” the statement on the CAF website continued.

Chad had expressed their fear to the world football body, FIFA, of traveling to Sudan for the 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup qualifier following the existing tension between two nations and the breached diplomatic relations.

But FIFA guaranteed the Chad Football Association of safety while in Sudan after receiving the assurance from the host nation’s Football Federation.

The Africa football governing body, CAF, emergency committee argued that despite the FA in Sudan stating of the Chadian delegation safety, also assured of according the visitors the spirit of fair-play, the Chad authorities decided not to travel for the encounter.

“Nevertheless, the Chadian authorise refused to move their team to Khartoum and FIFA thus cancelled the match this in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.”

The CAF website went on to say that in view of what precedes and taking into account the provisions of article 15 para 1 (a) of the regulations of the African Cup of Nations mentioned hereunder:

“If for any reason whatsoever, a team withdraws from the Competition or does not report for a match except in cases of force majeure accepted by the Organising Committee, or if it refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated for good from the Competition.  The same shall apply for the teams which were declared disqualified by decision of CAF.”

The Africa zone 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup qualifiers enter day two this weekend.

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