Confederation of African Football (CAF) has reportedly banned Congo from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which will be held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda this August.
While CAF has not made an official announcement yet, reports indicate that Congo was disqualified because they used an ineligible player during their qualifying matches against Equatorial Guinea.
The issue revolves around Mankou Nguembete Japhet Eloi, who is said to have played for Leones Vegetarianos, a club in Equatorial Guinea.
This goes against CHAN rules, which state that only players from local clubs in their own country can take part in the tournament.
Additionally, Congo is also accused of failing to submit the required national licenses, which are essential for participating in the competition.
Equatorial Guinea, which was originally knocked out by Congo, has now been brought back into the tournament. They will join Group D, where they will compete against the current champions, Senegal, along with Sudan and Nigeria.
Besides being disqualified, Congo’s football association has also been fined $10,000 by CAF. They have been given 60 days to pay the fine.