Kickoff (Cape Town)
1 December 2008
The Cosafa Organising Committee has to disqualify the Comoros squad from the 2008 Metropolitan Youth Championship in Kimberley after it was discovered that five of their players are over age and therefore ineligible to compete.
One player fell ill on arrival in SA for the tournament and had to be hospitalised.
The age cut off for the tournament is players born on or after January 1, 1989 and those of Comoros were discovered to be have born before that date hence the disqualification.
Having only brought 14 players to South Africa, instead of the maximum 20, they were left with only 8 players eligible to take the field for their opening fixture against Madagascar, and when two of them suffered injuries and were unable to continue.
The referee in consultation with the match commissioner had no alternative but to abandon the match, with Comoros reduced to 6 players, and no substitutes available.
At the time, the score was 1-1, but following the decision to disqualify Comoros, the result was declared null and void.
The Cosafa Organising Committee also ruled that the Comoros Football Federation be fined the sum of USD1000.
"The severity of the punishment indicates Cosafa's determination to send out a strong message that it will not tolerate age-cheating, a practice that has been a blight on the reputation and integrity of youth football for years, and something that needs to be eradicated in no uncertain terms;" says Timothy Shongwe, Cosafa Organising Committee member.
"Cofsafa is focused on its primary goal of football development. The U-20 age group is key to this as the flagship development age for Caf and Fifa.
"Development needs to be addressed not only in the game but also in administration, management, officiating to ensure the highest standards are reached and maintained. The Cosafa Referees' course held recently in Johannesburg is proof of our commitment."
Shongwe added that the winner between Mozambique and Madagascar will qualify for the semifinals to be played on Friday and if the game ends in a draw the winner will be declared by coin toss.
Today's fixtures:
South Africa v Zambia (De Beers Stadium, 15h00)
Zimbwabwe v Malawi (Galeshewe Stadium 15h00)
Namibia v Angola (AR Abass/Absa Park Stadium 17h00)
Seychelles v Lesotho (De Beers Stadium 17h00)
Mauritius v Botswana (Galeshewe Stadium 17h00)
Madagascar v Mozambique (AR Abass/Absa Park Stadium)
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