The Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) formal protest to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) regarding the ineligibility of Trinidad and Tobago international Andre Boucard in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March, was officially dismissed.
The confirmation of the dismissal of Puerto Rico and Guyana’s protest was published in the Trinidad Express Newspaper one week prior. It was also confirmed on the Trinidad and Tobago Wired868 website.
According to the Trinidad Express, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opted against opening a case against the ‘Soca Warriors’ for utilising Boucard against Puerto Rico in March, adding that the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF) has confirmed the world governing body’s decision.
“Puerto Rico has since confirmed that FIFA had informed them that T&T had no case to answer, in clear contradiction to a report out of Guyana in which Stabroek Sport reported Guyana Football Federation (GFF) general secretary, Ian Alves, as stating the matter was before FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee,” the article stated.
The GFF via General Secretary Ian Alves on May 19, had stated that the formal protest was with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. The GFF had also disclosed that legal advice was sought before opting to file a formal protest.
The article further stated that FIFA Head of World Cup Qualifiers Gordon Savic, was named as the individual who informed the FPF of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision. The official FPF website also confirmed, “According to FIFA, the protest by Puerto Rico did not meet the requirements established in the Disciplinary Code.”
The TTFA had been accused of fielding an ineligible player in the form of Boucard, 36, by the Puerto Rico football authorities during their FIFA World Cup Qualifier. According to the report from Inside World Football, the TTFA registered Boucard as plying his trade for English sixth tier unit Maidstone United despite records to the contrary.
Boucard did not feature against Guyana in a match which was won by a comfortable 3-0 score by the ‘Soca Warriors’. However, he did feature against Puerto Rico, making an appearance in the 85th minute of their 1-1 stalemate.
It was revealed by Inside World Football that Boucard was registered as a player intermediary [agent] with the English FA, despite the latter expressly prohibiting an agent from competing in the elite professional and semi-professional realms of the sport.
Under FIFA rules, all conflicts of interest with intermediaries – or agents – must be avoided. Intermediaries cannot have any contractual relationship with a national football association. Under English Football Association rules, players cannot be registered as intermediaries.
However, based on the decision of FIFA, no rules regarding the eligibility of Boucard were broken by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association.
Meanwhile a source close to the federation who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “The GFF should know the situation because Trinidad and Tobago is aware of the outcome but they have not said anything to the public although stating prior in the media that they have received acknowledgement from FIFA. The result of the protest was published during the month of May in one of the news sites in Trinidad and Tobago which is strange that the federation remains silent.”
Efforts to contact the General Secretary Alves for a comment proved futile. Calls to his cellular phone went unanswered up to press time.
Due to the dismissal, Guyana remained on three points, trailing St. Kitts and Nevis and Trinidad and Tobago who possess six and four points respectively. On the other hand, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas sit on one and zero point each. Only the group winner will progress to the second stage of the qualifiers.
Guyana plays Saint Kitts and Nevis today at 4 pm local time, and Puerto Rico at 4 pm local time on June 8. Both games will be staged in the Leeward Island nation.
