The Super Eagles will now face the Dodos en route to qualifying for Cote d’Ivoire 2023 after the Central Africans were sent packing by Caf
Nigeria will now face Mauritius in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification after Sao Tome and Principe were disqualified by the Confederation of African Football.
The Mauritius Football Association had filed a protest against the Central Africans, claiming they fielded a player who tested positive for Covid-19 in their preliminary qualifying fixture.
After a series of investigations, the Falcons and True Parrots Team were found guilty by Caf disciplinary committee, and as such got thrown out of the race to pick a ticket to Cote d’Ivoire 2023.
“The Caf Disciplinary Board charged Sao Tome and Principe Football Federation with breaching the Caf medical protocols and Caf Regulations after their player failed to submit to the obligatory 48-hour pre-match PCR test nor could he provide the officials with a PCR test that has been done within the correct 72-hour window for their TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2023 qualifier match against Mauritius,” a statement from Caf website read.
“The Caf Disciplinary Board found Sao Tome and Principe Football Federation guilty with fielding an ineligible player for the said match and imposed a forfeit of the match played against Mauritius.
“Furthermore, the disciplinary board has also imposed a fine of USD 10,000 against Sao Tome and Principe Football Federation.”
With this, Mauritius will now join the Super Eagles, Burundi, and Sierra Leone in Group A of the qualifiers for a ticket to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Jose Peseiro’s men will begin their campaign against the Leone Stars on June 9 at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja before facing the Dodos four days later inside Complexe Sportif de Côte d’Or, Saint Pierre.
There will be 32 nations looking to qualify for the African football showpiece billed for Cote d’Ivoire, with plenty of ambitious teams that believe they can emulate the efforts from 2021 reigning champions Senegal.