Women’s Afcon: Caf reinstates disqualified Equatorial Guinea

Two-time champions Equatorial Guinea will compete in the 2018 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ghana following a Caf Appeal Board decision on Wednesday (nine days to the start of the championship). 

Kenya had taken their place after the Confederation of African Football accepted their protest over the eligibility of player Annette Jacky Messomo who featured against them during the qualifiers.

The Harambee Starlets, who had feverishly begun preparations for the Women’s Afcon since October 29 and even hosted Ghana in an international friendly on Wednesday afternoon, by the decision, are now deprived from taking part in the 11^th edition of the championship slated for November 17 to December 1, 2018.



Equatorial Guinea will slot into Group B which has Cup holders Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia. They will be based in Cape Coast.



Below is a Caf statement on the Appeal Board ruling:

On November 7, 2018, the Appeal Board of Confédération Africaine de Football held a meeting in order to decide on the appeal of the Federación Ecuatoguineana de Fútbol of the decision of the Disciplinary Council of September 8, 2018.

Regarding the eligibility protest against player Annette Jacky Messomo during the match no. 30 Equatorial Guinea vs Kenya played in the frame of the Total African Women’s Cup of Nations 2018, the Appeal Board decided as follows:

1. The appeal lodged by the Federación Ecuatoguineana de Fútbol is admissible;
2. The decision no 001-CAI-08.09.2018 is overruled;
3. The player Annette Jacky Messomo is eligible to play for the National Team of Equatorial Guinea;
4. The National Team of Equatorial Guinea is reintegrated in the Total African Women’s Cup of Nations 2018.

Culled from FootyGH