Monrovia – A Liberian Fifa and Caf match commissioner has labeled as inexcusable the reason given by the technical staff for the omission of Zah Rahan Kranger from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium on June 5.
Liberia were leading by two goals to zero after 65 minutes through Gizzie Dorbor and William Jerbo but Togo shared the spoils after goals from Floyd Ayite and Fodoh Laba.
Administrative manager Washington Blaye reportedly left Kranger’s passport in the hotel in Marshall, Margibi County.
But Andy Quamie said Kranger should have still featured in keeping with the competition management system (CMS), which mandates the match commissioner and fourth official to inspect the teams’ passports at least 24 hours before a game.
“Their passports are inspected and photocopies are given to the match commissioner, who will then enter the details in the data of either Fifa or Caf depending on the tournament.
“Every country is allowed to register 30 players. In the pool, 18 [players] are selected for a given game. And those 18 [players] can be replaced at any time from the 30 [players] that you have already registered in the system,” Quamie explained.
He said Kranger was eligible to play because his details were registered prior to kick-off.
“His passport’s photocopy was handed to the match commissioner. The number on his passport can be called to check in the system. If that passport’s photocopy corresponds with the same number you have registered in the system, then Zah was qualified to play on his photocopy.
“It is a very poor excuse to say that Zah Kranger’s passport left in the hotel when the passport information has entered the CM (competition management) system.
“Sebastian Collins is my witness. I taught him this before that we don’t have to wait for the match commissioner to enter Liberia’s information in the system. He knows it very well,” Quamie told Fabric Weekend Sports on June 11.
Quamie said Kranger may have missed the game due to either conspiracy or negligence.
“I wasn’t in Liberia but looking at the situation you can tell it was either conspiracy or negligence. Sebastian Collins, who was former team manager, knows what it is like. Let’s assume the passport left in the hotel. You [the team] entered the stadium at least one hour 30 minutes to the match.
“Nobody could have gone to the hotel within one hour 30 minutes if he was really important for the match with an escort? Or you could have called the hotel to bring the passport. Was that impossible for Liberia if Zah Kranger was really important? That [his exclusion] is not an excuse!” Quamie added.
Quamie was in Bissau when Liberia drew with Togo as Guinea-Bissau reached an Afcon finals for the first time in their history without kicking a ball on June 5 when Kenya beat Congo Brazzaville 2-1 in Group E in Nairobi.
A 90th minute winner from Toni Silva gave Guinea-Bissau a 3-2 victory on June 4 with a four-point lead over Zambia but the 2012 champions are protesting the eligibility of goalkeeper Pape Massa Mbaye Fall, who was reportedly born in Senegal.
Meanwhile, FrontPageAfrica has gathered that Blaye’s computer illiteracy is responsible for Liberia not registering its information on the CMS. Blaye, as we went to process and long before that, didn’t have an email address.
Danesius Marteh, [email protected]