Sierra Leone name Nigerian in squad risk FIFA sanction

Posted by admin Headlines, Soccer, Sports Friday, August 24th, 2012

Sierra Leone appear to have selected an ineligible player in their squad for their 2013 Africa Cup of Nations final-round qualifying match against Tunisia on September 8 and risk sanctions from world football governing body, FIFA.

The BBC reports that Nigerian striker Victor Igbekoyi Kayode was included in the 19-man squad after he showed interest to play for Sierra Leone in June when he was introduced to Leone Stars coach Lars Olof Mattsson by the suspended skipper Ibrahim Kargbo.

The Azerbaijan-based player trained with Leone Stars when the team prepared for their last three games against Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome & Principe respectively.

However, the 25-year-old, who was born in Nigeria but has not been capped by the country of his birth, does not seem to meet any of FIFA’s criteria to qualify to play for Sierra Leone.

According to Article 17 of FIFA statutes, a player wishing to acquire a new nationality must fulfil at least one of the following conditions: he must have been born on the territory of the relevant FA; his biological mother or biological father must have been born on the territory of the relevant FA; his grandmother or grandfather must have been born on the territory of the relevant FA; or he must have lived continuously for at least five years after reaching the age of 18 on the territory of the relevant FA.

The Sierra Leone Football Association says it is now looking into the matter.

Acting general secretary of the SLFA Abdul Rahman Swarray told BBC Sport: “We included Igbekoyi in the squad at the request of the Leone Stars coach Lars Olof Mattsson but we are carefully studying the situation.”wp_posts