Sao Tomé and Principe will join Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau in Group A of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, replacing Mauritius just before the campaign’s group round begins.
Sao Tome and Principe were kicked out of the qualifications in the middle of last month after the Mauritius Football Association (MFA) reported them to CAF for fielding an ineligible player in their preliminary round playoffs encounter in March. Sao Tome won that matchup 4-3 on aggregate.
On Wednesday, the CAF Appeals Board overturned that ruling and reinstated Sao Tome. The island nation will now join Group A of the 2023 Nations Cup qualifiers alongside Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone. CAF issued the following statement, which was obtained from CafOnline.com:
“After hearing both parties’ presentations, the Caf Appeals Board ruled that: The Appeal of Sao Tome and Principe Football Association is considered admissible in form.
“The Appeal of the Sao Tome and Principe Football Association is upheld and the decision of the Caf Disciplinary Board is set aside in its entirety.
“The result of the match between Mauritius and Sao Tome and Principe is ratified and validated. The Sao Tome and Principe Football Association shall be reimbursed the Appeal fees.”
The Mauritius Football Association has asked for a full explanation from Caf and are also considering an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Nigeria are presently preparing for their friendly match against Ecuador on Friday at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, USA. Following that, they will begin their Nations Cup qualifying campaign against Sierra Leone on June 9 at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja. They will then travel to Sao Tome to face The Falcons and True Parrots four days later.
