CAF Dismisses Namibia Protest Over Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso can play in next year's African Nations Cup finals after a protest about the use of an ineligible player was thrown out, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Saturday.

Namibia protested that Burkina Faso's use of Cameroon-born defender Herve Zengue in two qualifying matches contravened the rules of world soccer's governing body FIFA.

The Namibians said Zengue, who plays his club football in Russia, did not qualify to play for Burkina Faso because he was not born there, had no blood ties with the country and had never lived there.

CAF's executive committee, meeting in Equatorial Guinea before Saturday's African Nations Cup draw, said in a statement they had dismissed the protest.

Burkina Faso said they had given Zengue a passport because he was married to a Burkinabe woman.

The finals are being co-hosted in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon from January 21 to February 14.

REUTERS