By Victor Kanayo
Uncertainty appears to be brewing after the Guinean Football Federation (FGF) lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
This followed the country’s inability to secure a spot at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Guinea’s last-ditch attempt to reverse CAF’s decision comes after their 1-0 loss to Tanzania on 19 November 2024, a result that condemned the Syli National, third in their group, to watch the tournament from home.
Shortly after, the FGF challenged the match’s validity, alleging that Tanzania fielded a player wearing a jersey number different from that listed on the official team sheet.
The controversy centres on Tanzanian defender Muhamed Ibrahim Ame, who wore number 26 instead of number 24 during the match. Guinea argued that this administrative error called into question the match’s fairness and hoped to be handed a walkover and eventual qualification.
The CAF Disciplinary Board initially ruled the complaint admissible in form but unfounded in substance, stating that a jersey number inconsistent with the team sheet did not constitute a major violation. Subsequently, the CAF Appeals Board upheld that decision, a conclusion the FGF made public on Monday.
But the Guinean federation is not relenting, citing “serious breaches of the most basic procedural rights”, including being denied access to the case file, prohibited from submitting key evidence, and excluded from crucial deliberations. The FGF maintains that these irregularities kept the Appeals Jury from delivering a fair ruling.
Determined to pursue justice, the FGF has turned to the CAS in Lausanne, trusting it “to guarantee a fully fair procedure in compliance with international standards of sports justice” and to provide a remedy for the unfair process it fell victim to.
If CAS ultimately finds in its favour, this precedent could influence future cases where disqualifications and walkover victories are at stake.
