Qatar World Cup 2022: Ecuador cleared to participate by CAS

Ecuador's participation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was doubtful after being accused of fielding an ineligible player. However, the CAS has ruled the trial in favour of La Tri, clearing it to fly to the Gulf.

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Ecuador's appearance in its fourth-ever FIFA World Cup seemed doubtful. Just months before the Qatar 2022, which gets underway from November 20, it was accused of fielding ineligible players during the qualifiers, as its participation in the global event plunged into darkness. Chile accused Ecuador of the same, as defender Byron Castillo represented the side despite being a Colombian by birth. Although the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) dismissed the claims by the Chilean governing body, the matter was taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where the Ecuadorian authorities' testimony acknowledged that Castillo was a proper Ecuadorian national.

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"While the player's Ecuadorean passport was indeed authentic, some information provided therein was false. In particular, the panel was comfortably satisfied that the player's date and place of birth were incorrect since the player was actually born in Tumaco, Colombia, on June 25, 1995. The panel deemed it necessary to hold the FEF liable for an act of falsification... even if the FEF was not the author of the falsified document but only the user," CAS clarified in a statement, reports Xinhua.

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While CAS asserted that there was no wrongdoing on Ecuador's part, it did fine the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) 100,000 Swiss francs for having submitted a wrong document with "false information". Also, La Tri was scrapped three points from their qualifying campaign, as the FEF officials are planning on appealing against the same. Ecuador gets its WC campaign underway against hosts Qatar on November 20 in Al Khor.