Nigeria’s Super Eagles will now host Congo in Calabar, Cross River State in the 2015 African Cup of Nations qualifiers after initial opponents, Rwanda, were disqualified from the qualifying series.
Congo’s protests against Rwanda using an ineligible player has yielded fruits as the Confederation of African Football has thrown the Amavubi out of the series.
Rwanda were disqualified from the Afcon 2015 qualifiers for fielding Dady Birori in the play-offs.
The player was found to have been playing in the DRC under another name, Agiti Etekiama, with a Congolese passport
The decision by CAF is in relation to the protest filed by the Congolese Football Federation, which alleged the player suited up for their first leg match of the second round qualifier played against Rwanda on July 20, 2014 in Pointe-Noire.
CAF has also suspended the player from playing for both club and country till further notice despite claims by Rwanda that they were unaware he had another identity.
Consequently, the African football ruling body said: “Consign Congo to the group phase of the qualifiers of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations – Morocco in 2015 in Group A, as replacement for Rwanda.”
Nigeria were due to face Rwanda at the UJ Esuene Stadium in Calabar onSeptember 6 in the first of her Group A matches towards qualifying for the Orange Afcon 2015 to be hosted by Morocco.
Defending champions, Nigeria, are in same group alongside Sudan, South Africa and with this resolution, Congo.
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