The Fédération Internationale de Football Association’s (FIFA) has not upheld the protest by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) that the St Vincent and the Grenadines national football team fielded an ineligible player in their World Cup Qualification match in June.
The GFF’s Normailsation Committee under Chairman Clinton Urling had written the world governing body for football protesting the fact that
St Vincent and the Grenadines had used a player James Garvin, who they claimed was not in possession of a St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVGFF) passport in contravention of FIFA’s rules.
“The GFF on June 16 had requested FIFA’s investigation and adjudication on a possible violation of the FIFA rules by the SVGFF for fielding a player not in possession of a St. Vincent and the Grenadines passport during the World Cup Qualification match on June 14, 2015 at the Guyana National Stadium,” a release from the GFF yesterday stated.
Earlier this week Urling told Stabroek Sports that FIFA had not yet responded to their protest.
“FIFA has not formally responded. We have sought an update and are awaiting a response.
“Once the ruling is delivered, we will release the findings to the media,” Urling had told this newspaper.
Yesterday the GFF said that they had heard from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee which had subsequently ruled that…. “after careful examination of all the requested information and documentation, it was considered that no further intervention was necessary in such context.”
The GFF, the release added was presently seeking legal advice on whether to appeal the ruling to the FIFA Appeals Committee.
As such, St. Vincent and the Grenadines are through to the next round of the qualification process following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia on Monday.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines will play Aruba in a two-leg, third round series of the CONCACAF qualifiers from August 31st to September 8th.
Other matchups in the section include Curacao vs El Salvador, Canada vs Belize, Grenada vs Haiti, Jamaica vs Nicaragua and Antigua and Barbuda vs Guatemala. CONCACAF giants the United States of America and CFU heavyweights Trinidad and Tobago are already through to the next round.
Guyana had officially filed a complaint against the Vincentians for allegedly fielding an ineligible player following their first round elimination via the away goal rule.
Their two-leg affair ended 6-6 on aggregate following a 4-4 draw at the Providence National Stadium on June 14 and an earlier 2-2 draw in the opening game at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Guyana was eliminated on the away goals rule after the visitors scored four away goals compared to the Golden Jaguars’ two away goals.
FIFA’s rules for the 2018 World Cup states that passports are the only official documentation that can prove the nationality of a competing player.
Ironically, Aruba, the Vincentians’ opponent, sealed their place in the next round of the qualifiers after a positive protest against Barbados in the previous stage.
Barbados was kicked out of the World Cup Qualifiers by FIFA after it was found that they fielded an ineligible player against Aruba.
The ineligible player was Hadan Holligan who received two yellow cards in two previous matches and was set to serve a one-game suspension. However, Holligan took the field in the second leg against Aruba and duly scored as the Barbadians took the tie over Aruba on a 3-2 aggregate.
They were later disqualified and asked to pay a fine of US$6470 following the conclusion of the investigation a move which allowed Aruba the right to progress to the next round of the qualifiers.
