France risks being disqualified from the ongoing FIFA U17 World Cup after fielding an ineligible player.
According to Sport News Africa, the European side fielded Yanis Issoufou, who had already represented Niger during the qualification stages. France are through to the quarter-finals after beating Senegal in the Round of 16 on Wednesday in a tournament currently ongoing in Indonesia.
Issoufou, who represents Montpellier, was withdrawn from the team sheet at the last minute with France worried about the player’s inclusion. He had registered two assists in three appearances at the competition, but the FFF did not want to take any chances.
Issoufou had recently played for Niger U17s in a competition that allowed the African nation to qualify for the U17 World Cup, whilst FIFA’s rules prohibit a player from representing two nations during the same tournament.
It now remains to be seen whether Burkina Faso will lodge an appeal to be considered for the next round of the tournament. Senegal, Les Bleuets’ future opponents, could also do the same if Yanis Issoufou were to play in the Round of 8.
Issoufou played for Niger against Côte d’Ivoire and Benin at the UFOA B U17 tournament in Ghana in 2022. He scored a goal in the loss to the Ivorians, before being voted man of the match against Benin (3-1 victory).
