Cape Verde World Cup appeal rejected

Published December 08, 2015

Tunisian stirker Hamdi Harbaoui vies with Cape Verdean defender Fernando Varela (left) in Praia Stadium during qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 9, 2012 (AFP/File)

Cape Verde have lost an appeal against a decision to dock them three points after winning a World Cup qualifier in Tunisia, the Confederation of African Football said Wednesday.

The west African islands state won the group game 2-0 last month, but FIFA awarded the north Africans a 3-0 victory because Cape Verde fielded a suspended player.

Romania-based defender Fernando Varela had served only two games of a four-match ban when he started against the Tunisians.

Cape Verde argued that Varela was red carded away to Equatorial Guinea in a game later declared null and void, so the ban should not have counted.

However, a FIFA board of appeal rejected the appeal, leaving Tunisia winners of a group where three of the 12 results had to be altered due to ineligible players.

Tunisia face Cameroon on October 13 in Tunis and November 17 in Yaounde in a play-off with the overall winners qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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