U-17 World Cup: Senegal Submits FIFA complaint against France over eligibility controversy
The Senegalese Football Federation has lodged a complaint with FIFA against France, as expected, citing administrative confusion surrounding Yanis Issoufou. The Montpellier forward, of Nigerien origin, who has previously played in the U17 category in qualification matches for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON ) with Niger, was fielded in the Round of 16 of the World Cup against Senegal, with the Senegalese team being eliminated by the French team in a penalty shootout (5-3).
In their letter, the federation explains their objection: «Dear Director, the U-17 French national team includes the name of the player YANIS ALI ISSOUFOU ABDOULKADRE. During the last tournament of the UFOA B zone, an official qualifying competition for CAN U-17 “Algeria 2023” and itself a qualifier for the World Cup “Indonesia 2023”, the same player was fielded to play for the national team of Niger, as evidenced by the attached match sheets. » The services of Augustin Senghor add, «You will agree with us that this player has played in two official tournaments (CAF and FIFA) of the same category and the same FIFA competition (U-17) with two different nationalities (Nigerien and French) ».
However, the Senegalese federation argues in their petition that, «Article 8, b of the Statutes and Transfer of Players clearly states that a player is not allowed to play for his new association in any competition in which he has already participated for his old association».
This provision is reinforced by Article 24 of the Regulations of the U-17 World Cup «Indonesia 2023», which emphasizes that, «all players must be eligible for the representative team in accordance with FIFA statutes, the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, and any other applicable FIFA regulations».
Taking all these arguments into account, the Senegalese Football Federation has requested the «disqualification of the France U17 team» for «fielding an ineligible player».
Discussions between the French Football Federation (FFF) and FIFA are underway to address the ongoing administrative matter.
The outcomes have the potential to impact France’s position in the tournament and may influence Yanis Issoufou’s eligibility for future participation.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the resolution of this matter is certain to capture the attention of football enthusiasts globally.
Source : Seneweb
