Enugu Rangers have started the process of appealing their disqualification from this year’s CAF Confederations Cup.
A statement released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday revealed that the ‘Flying Antelopes’ “immediately set in motion the process to appeal the decision.”
CAF withdrew the Glo Nigeria Premier League club from the mini-league stage of the Confederations Cup for fielding an ineligible player in goalkeeper Emmanuel Daniel in the play-off round against CS Sfaxien of Tunisia.
NFF General Secretary, Barrister Musa Ahmadu intimated that CAF based its decision on “document and letters sent by the club Shooting Stars (3SC) and its chairman,” as revealed in a letter sent by the football governing body to the federation on July 2.
Ahmadu claimed the document from 3SC confirmed that “by the time the player was registered on December 24th, 2012, no agreement was found between Shooting Stars and Enugu Rangers for the player Daniel Emmanuel.”
Ahmadu described Rangers’ disqualification as an “internal” matter which has shocked the football federation, stating critically that NFF has seen the contract of Daniel who they claimed has “duly” signed for Rangers.
“We are absolutely shocked that an internal transfer matter between two clubs could snowball into a situation that will see a Nigerian club disqualified from continental competition.
“We have seen the player’s contract,” Ahmadu continued. “He signed a contract to play for Shooting Stars FC between January and December 2012, and at the expiration of his contract, duly signed for Enugu Rangers. The Player did not start playing for Enugu Ranger until he secured his license from the LMC (League Management Company) in April this year.
“It is also recorded that the player had featured for Enugu Rangers against clubs like Heartland FC and Sunshine Stars and even against Shooting Stars in Enugu a couple of weeks ago, without any of the clubs protesting his eligibility.”
The federation scribe declared that NFF and the LMC will back Rangers in their appeal at CAF.
“The NFF and LMC will afford Enugu Rangers total support in the case and we are confident that the club will be re-instated in the competition,” Ahmadu said.
