News: IRAQ vs QATAR - TO BE Re-Decided in "Cour of Arbitration for Sports - CSA"

Better Late Than "Never" !!!

The above saying is coming true for Iraq and who knows, may be Qatar will be disqualified from the WC2010 Round 4 Qualifying matches even after playing 2 matches.

FIFA got it self into real mess now.

Read the below-mentioned report circulated on http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=864553

I am also pasting the same here and see the comments in bold:


15/09/2008 04:49
Asian Debate: Should Qatar Be Banned From The World Cup?
It’s developing into quite a mess but one thing is clear - the issue of whether Qatar should be allowed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup is not going to go away for some time to come.
»Comments (97) Print This Story Send To A Friend Contact Us galleria zoom Qatar is a controversial nation in football terms. Its clubs are among some of the richest in Asia and have imported fine players from all over the world. There’s nothing wrong with that - few leagues don’t. Qatar however, has a less common zeal for naturalizing some of the best ones who then appear in the national team shirt before you can say “I have been a big fan Qatari football ever since I could kick a ball.”

It is hard to agree with such a practice but that is not the issue at stake here. The issue is also not whether Qatar fielded an ineligible player against Iraq in a vital 2010 World Cup qualifier earlier this year –that is not in dispute. The issue is whether Qatar should be punished for it.

It all started when Emerson (Marcio Passos De Albuquerque), a Brazilian-born recently-naturalised Qatari player, lined up for the Gulf nation in their 2010 World Cup qualifier against Iraq in March. He helped Qatar win 2-0. The result helped the team finish second in their group to progress to the final round of qualification for the 2010 World Cup. Iraq had three points less and were eliminated.

The problem is that, despite his Qatari citizenship, Emerson had represented Brazil at youth level and was ineligible to play for Qatar. Iraq complained, FIFA suspended the player but although the governing body’s own rules state that any team "found guilty of fielding an ineligible player shall forfeit the match in question" and "victory and the resultant three points will be awarded to the opposing team,” Qatar was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee which, at the same time, also said that: “the player is not eligible to play for Qatar and cannot play any further matches for the representative team of Qatar.”

According to FIFA, Iraq had to make the complaint no later than 24 hours before the match in question, not almost three months later. Qatar also claim that their background checks and research didn’t come up with anything suspicious. Adding to the confusion is the fact that in Brazil in 2006, Emerson was arrested for falsifying his age on his birth certificate.

Emerson may not be the most trustworthy of characters but it is Qatar’s responsibility to ensure that every player who pulls on the shirt is eligible to represent the nation on the football pitch. It is that simple. Such information may be hard to come by but that is no excuse.

Given that the win in which Emerson featured was responsible for Qatar finishing above Iraq in Group One and the end of the Asian Champion’s dreams of 2010, it is not surprising that authorities in Baghdad are peeved.

They have every right to be. The fact that Qatar are not the most popular team in Asia due to their naturalization policy should have no effect on this issue. The practice leaves a bad taste in the mouth but it is within current regulations. The reason why Qatar should not be allowed to play in the World Cup or qualification is because they have broken rules that are clearly stated - just because the complaints came later than FIFA stipulations allow, doesn't and shouldn't change that fact..

Despite FIFA's rulings, the issue is not yet over. With the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) currently considering the case and expected to make their decision known in two or three weeks, the situation could change. If so, expect a mighty mess as the final round of qualification has already started with Qatar leading their group after two matches played.

"We have demanded to postpone the matches in the group until the CAS take their decision," Ahmed Abbas, the general secretary of the Iraqi FA said last week before adding: "However, Qatar FA asked FIFA not to postpone the matches and, if CAS rule in our favour, then FIFA should be responsible for the consequences.”

It does the image of Asian football no favours. Qualification for the 2006 World Cup was marred with Bahrain and Uzbekistan’s controversial play-off and now this, a sorry state of affairs once again played out in full view of the world’s media.

It should not have been allowed to get this far but when it comes to doing the right thing it is better late than never. .

John Duerden

Asia Editor

john.duerden@goal.com