The CAS rejects the appeal of Sudan

Lausanne, 4 March 2013 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal of the Sudanese Football Association (SFA) against the FIFA decision to declare the Sudan – Zambia match of 2 June 2012 forfeited by Sudan 0-3. The CAS has fully confirmed the FIFA Appeal Committee’s decision of 24 October 2012.

On 2 June 2012, during a qualifying match for the FIFA World Cup 2014, Africa zone, Sudan played Zambia in Khartoum and won the match that day, the Sudanese team 2-0. On that day, the Sudanese team had fielded the player Eldin Ali Idris Farah while he was under suspension.

Such player had been sent off in the last game of the Sudan in the context of the African Cup of Nations (CAN) on 4 February 2012, a match where the Sudan also played Zambia.

Following the match on 2 June 2012, the FIFA Disciplinary Commission opened a procedure against the SFA and ordered that the match of 2 June 2012 be forfeited by Sudan 0-3 and that the SFA pay a fine of CHF 6’000. This decision was upheld by the FIFA Appeal Committee on 24 October 2012.

The SFA appealed such decision to CAS on 3 December 2012, requesting its annulment, on the basis that it had not been properly informed of Eldin Ali Idris Farah’s suspension. The CAS Panel in charge of this case rejected the arguments of the SFA after noting that the secretariat of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) had indeed informed the SFA that the player Eldin Ali Idris Farah would be suspended during the next official match of the national team. The CAS also noted that, following the sending off of the player in the last game of the CAN, the SFA couldn’t not be aware of the fact that the player in question was suspended, and, in case of doubt, it should have verified the player’s eligibility with the competent FIFA and/or CAF authorities.

Consequently, the decision of FIFA to declare the Sudan-Zambia match of 2 June 2012 forfeited 0-3 is confirmed. —- CAS