Burkina Faso protest Algeria win over 'ineligible' player

The Burkina Faso football federation (FBF) have complained to FIFA over what they say was the ineligible participation of Algerian defender Madjid Bougherra in Tuesday's World Cup play-off defeat.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up claim Bougherra - who scored the only goal in Blida which pulled Algeria level 3-3 on aggregate and took them to Brazil on away goals - should have been suspended, while they also appealed against the performance of Senegalese referee Badara Diatta.

According to FBF president Sita Sangare, Bougherra picked up a yellow card during the group stage of qualifying against Mali and also went into the book during Burkina Faso's 3-2 win in the first leg of their play-off, which should have ruled him out of the second leg.

The federation have also argued that Diatta failed to play out the full four minutes of injury time, depriving them the chance of a late equaliser which would have qualified them for next year's finals in Brazil.

Burkina Faso have never appeared at a World Cup finals.


Information from mtnfootball.com was used in this report.