The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has lifted a two year ban imposed on Gambia for fielding over age players in a 2015 African U-20 Championship qualifiers match against Liberia in April 2014.

The ban had meant that Gambia would not participate in either the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as well as its clubs taking part in the Champions League and Confederation Cup competitions for the 2015 and 2016 editions.

A congratulatory letter signed by CAF president Issa Hayatou and addressed to Gambia Football Federation (GFF) boss Lamin Kaba Bajo read in part as reported on the AfricanSoccerWeekly.

“In line with our exchanges with the Normalization Committee and FIFA, the CAF Executive Committee in its meeting dated September 20th 2014 in Addis Ababa, decided to exceptionally lift the suspension imposed on the Gambia Football Association to participate in CAF competitions for 2 years (decision rendered in April 2014).

Liberia Football Association (LFA) filed an appeal against Gambia accusing the latter of fielding for fielding Sampierre Mendy, Saloum Faal, Ali Sowe, Bubacarr Sanneh and Bubacarr Trawally all born in 1994 with the competition’s regulations stating that players have to be born on or after 1 January 1995.

The case saw Gambia disqualified despite having won the first leg by a solitary goal with Liberia progressing to the next round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Culled from Complete Sport