Kenya football under-20 team during training.PHOTO/Timothy Olobulu
NAIROBI, April 19 – The national Under-20 football team has been disqualified from the African Cup of Nations qualifiers after Sudan successfully lodged a complaint that Kenya fielded ineligible players during the first-leg of the preliminary round away in Khartoum.
Sudan complained that Kenya fielded five players who were born in 1996 contrary to CAF rule that allows only players born on or after January 1997 to compete.
“Decision of the CAF U20 Organizing Committee on the protest made by Sudan FA on the ineligibility of Players during Match 11 Sudan vs. Kenya played in Khartoum on April 03rd 2016 CAF U-20 AFCON Qualifiers Zambia 2017.”
“Consequently, the U20 Kenyan National team is disqualified from the preliminaries of the AFCON U20 Zambia 2017 and the U20 Sudan National team is qualified to the next round,” the letter read
“We have received communication from CAF that Kenya has been disqualified and Sudan is through to the second round. We are happy with the decision after we lodged a complaint,” Sudan FA’s head of national team Oussama Ata Elmanaan told Capital Sport from Khartoum.
READ: Sudan to appeal Kenya’s alleged fielding of over-age players
Efforts to reach federation officials over the same were futile but Capital Sport is in possession of the copy of the letter copied to FKF CEO Robert Muthomi dated April 19 2016.
The first-leg played in Khartoum two weeks ago ended 1-1, handing Kenya an away goal advantage and the John Kamau side had already resumed residential training on Monday ahead of the return leg which was scheduled for this Saturday.
The Kenyan team was hoping to win the return leg in Nairobi and book a slot in the second round and confidence was high within the Kenyan team they would clinch the ticket to the final tournament set for Zambia in 2017.
