Congo Brazzaville reinstated in CHAN tournament
Congo Brazzaville have been reinstated as African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers after winning an appeal against disqualification, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Wednesday.
They replace Equatorial Guinea, who had successfully appealed to the African governing body after losing a qualifier against Congo 2-1 on aggregate.
Equatorial Guinea said the Congolese fielded an ineligible player, forward Japhet Mankou, and presented invalid player licences.
But the CAF disciplinary board decision to disqualify Congo, and allow Equatorial Guinea back into the biennial competition, was overruled by the appeals board.
FIFA last month lifted a ban on Congo competing in international competitions. The suspension had been triggered by government interference in the running of football in the central African country.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are set to co-host the August 2-30 tournament and Congo will be in Group D with title-holders Senegal, Nigeria and Sudan. The top two finishers advance to the quarter-finals.
The CHAN is a unique international football competition as it is restricted to footballers playing in their country of birth.
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