CAF sets Rwanda appeal hearing on Aug. 27

The Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) Board of Appeals yesterday set August 27 as the date when they will meet to discuss Rwanda’s appeal over the country’s disqualification from the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations-Morocco qualifiers. The Organising Committee for the Africa Cup of Nations on August 17 banned Rwanda from the tournament’s 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. On Sunday, the 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. Ferwafa says it is also willing to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports should the August 27 verdict not favour them. Birori, who has featured for Rwanda’s Kibuye, Mukura, SC Kiyovu and Atraco with whom he played Caf Confederation Cup in 2010 under the name of Birori.