Namibian club expelled for using ineligible player

A Namibian club expelled from the top tier of the country’s football the – Premier League – has been told to approach the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS) in Switzerland if they wish to be reinstated.

Young Africans were demoted to the lower division after they were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player in 28 of their 30 league matches last season.

It was another club – Young Chiefs – who towards the end of the season brought the issue to the attention of authorities when they complained that Young Africans have been using an ineligible player throughout the season.

At a sitting convened by the Namibian Premier League Disciplinary Committee, Young Africans were found guilty on a charge of fraud and misrepresentation after tampering with the passport of Zimbabwean Tapiwa Musekiwa and registering him as Albert Mijikijera.

“The NFA does “not have a properly constituted judicial body in place” due to the association being without a leadership and awaiting the appointment of “a Fifa Normalisation Committee to act in place of the executive committee until an election is held”, NFA Secretary General Barry Rukoro informed the club on Friday.

“Against this background we advise that, since the decisions of the NFA judicial bodies are subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, Young African approach that body in respect of the appeal,” Rukoro explained.

Additionally, Young African was hit with a N$25 000 penalty fine on each count, to be payable before the end of May, while points amassed in matches the player featured were to be awarded to their opponents.