Sport

FIFA says no to T&T's Samuel

Jlloyd Samuel - FILE

port of spain trinidad, cmc

ASTON VILLA DEFENDER Jlloyd Samuel will not get to fulfill his dream of helping Trinidad & Tobago qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

FIFA, the world governing body for football, has ruled him ineligible to wear T&T colours, citing the fact the player has already passed the age where he could switch national associations.

"We have noted that the player has not performed for the A-representative team of the English FA. We understood, however, that the player was born on March 29, 1981," the T&T Football Feder-ation website quoted a letter from FIFA's Director Legal Division, Heinz Tannler as saying.

"In principle, a player may only once request changing the association for which he is eligible to play international matches, but only up to his 21st birthday (article 153 A). For this reason, the 24-year-old Samuel is not entitled to this decision anymore."

NOT APPLICABLE

Samuel had hoped that a ruling which allowed Freddie Kanoute to play for Mali at age 26 after previously representing France, would have applied to his scenario but Tannler said it was not applicable.

"In accordance with this provision a player who has already acquired eligibility to play for one association but has another nationality imposed upon him by a government authority, is entitled to change associations," the statement continued.

"This provision refers to the situation where several new states and consequently several new football associations arise from one former centralised state, for example, today's state Slovenia arose from the former state Yugoslavia."

"But this change of sssociation is based not on the free decision of the player but was imposed by government authorities. These requirements are not given in the case of England and Trinidad and Tobago."

Tannler, said however, that the statement was not a binding decision and that the TTFA were free to put the issue before the FIFA Players' Status Committee.

Samuel, who was born in Trinidad & Tobago, had indicated his interest in representing the twin-island republic in their play -off with Bahrain later this month.

He had previously represented England Under-21s and was also called up to the senior team last year for a friendly against Sweden where he was as an unused substitute.

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