The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially filed a letter of appeal with the FIFA Appeals Committee following the latter’s decision not to sanction St. Vincent and the Grenadines for allegedly fielding an ineligible player during their World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ).
FIFA on July 31st, sent a letter to the GFF stating that after their investigation of all the requested information, they found no reason to intervene in the matter. The appeal document which was sent by General Secretary Richard Groden yesterday, was addressed to the Chairman of the Committee Larry Mussenden.
Guyana had officially filed a complaint against the Vincentians for allegedly fielding an ineligible player after their June 14th second leg matchup following their first round elimination via the away goal rule. The contentious player was British-born Garvin James who is allegedly not a holder of a Vincentian passport.
The GFF had stated that the Vincentians violated FIFA’s regulation regarding eligibility of players. FIFA’s rules for the 2018 World Cup state that passports are the only official documentation that can prove the nationality of a competing player.
Due to this regulation, Guyana wrote to FIFA regarding the alleged breach by the Vincentians.
According to the GFF letter “FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee ruled that, ‘after careful examination of all the requested information and documentation, it was considered that no further intervention was necessary in such context’”.
Excerpts from the letter further said “However, the GFF is of the view that the Disciplinary Committee gave no explanation for its ruling and no reference was made to the ineligibility of the player for presenting a Passport other than that of the country of the participating member association (SVG) he was representing”.
It continued “The GFF challenge was premised on the fact that the player in question, Garvin James, did not have a SVG Passport as required by FIFA Regulations for the FIFA 2018 World Cup Russia”.
The letter further referenced “Article 7 of the ‘General Provisions’ which states that ‘The Regulations and all directives, decisions, guidelines and circulars issued by FIFA shall be binding for all parties participating and involved in the preparation, organisation, and hosting of the 2018 FIFA World Cup’”.
According to the issued letter “Under Article 19, paragraph 3 of the Regulations, it states ‘The ONLY document considered to be valid proof of a player’s identity and nationality shall be a passport that explicitly states the player’s day, month and year of birth. Identity cards or other supporting official documents shall not be accepted as a valid means of identification. The participating member associations shall present each player’s valid national passport for the country of the participating member association to the FIFA Match Commissioner on the day before the match. A player without a valid passport shall not be entitled to play’”.
“The GFF also reminded FIFA, for the WCQ, Guyana did not play four players who did not have a Passport in their possession but who had met all requirements for citizenship” the letter further said.
According to the letter, Groden said “If a stamp in their passports of the countries of birth or some other form of documentation from the Guyana government, other than a passport, would have sufficed, the GFF would have fielded those players and the outcome of the matches might have been different”.
Guyana suffered a first round elimination after their two-legged affair finished 6-6 on aggregate following a 4-4 draw at the National Stadium on June 14th in the second encounter. In the opening match at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the score finished 2-2.
Due to the outcome of the second match, Guyana was sent packing from the event on the away goals rule after the visitors scored four away goals compared to the Golden Jaguar’s two away goals.
Prior to FIFA’s recent decision, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was selected on Monday July 25th as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Known as Vincy Heat, St. Vincent and the Grenadines was drawn against Aruba in the two-legged third round ties of the CONCACAF qualifiers which is slated to be held from August 31st to September 8th.
