Will Stephen EZE remain Eligible after the 31st?

[Enugu II]

Answer is provided below but Morocco may lose two key players.....

CHAN 2018: Looming transfers could hit Moroccan chances
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42861815
By Nick Cavell
BBC Africa Sport, Morocco

Ashraf Bencharki helped Wydad Casablanca win the 2017 African Champions League.
Hosts Morocco will be without key players Achraf Bencharki and Jawad El Yamiq if they reach the African Nations Championship (CHAN) final on Sunday.

The duo are set to leave their Moroccan clubs by Wednesday to play overseas, which contradicts competition rules.

The CHAN is a tournament for African players based in their own domestic leagues.

Bencharki has agreed to join Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal Riyadh, while El Yamiq is heading to Genoa in Italy.

Midfielder Bencharki is leaving from African champions Wydad Casablanca, while defender El Yamiq has been on the books of city rivals Raja.

Both men could also miss Wednesday's semi-final against Libya should their deals have gone through by that day's transfer window deadline.

Their International Transfer Certificates (ITC) must be registered with football's world governing body Fifa before the end of Wednesday.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) says that a player is ineligible to play in the CHAN once his ITC registration is with a club outside his own country.

Morocco are due to play their semi-final at 1630GMT on Wednesday, so leaving little time after the match for any paperwork to be finalised.

Caf regulations state that as well as being a citizen of the country, "only players with a permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship."

Earlier in the tournament Guinea launched an appeal over the eligibility of Sudan's Elsmani Elsawi Saadeldin, who they claimed had signed for Libyan club Al Ittihad Tripoli in December.

Caf ruled that Saadeldin was eligible as he was still with his Sudanese club Al Merreikh at the time.

Elsewhere, Nigeria's Stephen Eze is set to continue playing as his proposed move from Kano Pillars to Bulgaria's Lokomotiv Plovdiv can happen after the CHAN as the Bulgarian transfer window remains open until 28 February.

Similarly, the move of Cameroon's Frantz Prangop to MLS side Minnesota United in the United States will be finalised after the tournament.

[Damunk]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

[Enugu II]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

It should be that simple as long as the player was still local at the start of the tournament. Right now Morocco may lose two players who have played in this tournament. The logic na real wa o. It just causes unnecessary problems.

[FATHER TIKO]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

It should be that simple as long as the player was still local at the start of the tournament. Right now Morocco may lose two players who have played in this tournament. The logic na real wa o. It just causes unnecessary problems.

1 Week to the opening game of the tournament might be more tolerable (by then there would have been certification of the final squad lists for the tournament)

But really, if CAF's fears for this tournament include the problem of players abandoning the tournament to join clubs (since the tournament isn't covered by FIFA-window); no option solves it...

[Shownoja]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

It's not so much the rules, but the buying club. As the tournament is outside the FIFA window, the clubs have a right (and I will enforce it if I were them) to refuse to allow the player to continue participation. Its a big investment no matter how much is paid for a player, and they won't want that jeopadised by injury.

[Damunk]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

It's not so much the rules, but the buying club. As the tournament is outside the FIFA window, the clubs have a right (and I will enforce it if I were them) to refuse to allow the player to continue participation. Its a big investment no matter how much is paid for a player, and they won't want that jeopadised by injury.

Fair point.
I guess there should be a degree of give and take worked into the negotiations.
Maybe CAN should have a say but ultimately it should be about 'gentleman's agreements'.

[Odas]

Not sure why they're making such a big deal of this.

They can simply adjust the eligibility rule (if it does need adjusting) to allow anyone that is stil a 'local' player at the start of the tournament to play, regardless of whether he transfers out during the tournament or not.

In fact, left to me, I'd make it such that any player that transfers out within 4-6 weeks of the tournament would still be eligible.

and

[Enugu II]

What a coincidence! CAF will actually review the rules for next competition!

Caf to assess Chan eligibility rules regarding transfers
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/42877 ... ow_twitter
By Nick Cavell
BBC Africa Sport, Morocco


The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will discuss the eligibility of players who undergo transfers during the African Nations Championship (CHAN) ahead of the next competition.

The tournament is for African players based in their own domestic leagues.

The last three CHANs have spanned January and February, so putting teams at risk of losing players during this month's transfer window.

A player is ineligible to play at the CHAN after joining a foreign club.

"The issue will be addressed before the kick-off of the next CHAN qualifiers," Caf Communications Director Junior Binyam told BBC Sport.

At this year's finals, Morocco face the prospect of losing two key players after both Achraf Bencharki and Jawad El Yamiq were lining up transfers that need to go through by the deadline of 31 January.

Should the host nation beat Libya on Wednesday to reach the final on 4 February, they would be unable to use these players if their transfers go ahead - although El Yamiq's move from Raja Casablanca to Genoa is now in doubt.

Bencharki, meanwhile, has agreed to leave African champions Wydad Casablanca for Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal Riyadh.

Caf regulations state that as well as being a citizen of the country, "only players with a permanent contract registered in a local club affiliated to their national association are eligible to participate in the African Nations Championship."

When it comes to its youth tournaments, Caf sets a specific date that players have to be born after in order to qualify for a competition.

In the case of a cut-off point for the CHAN, a date could be set prior to the start of a tournament for all players to be based in their homeland - following which transfers could be possible.

Earlier in this year's CHAN, Guinea launched an appeal over the eligibility of Sudan's Elsmani Elsawi Saadeldin, who they claimed had signed for Libyan club Al Ittihad Tripoli in December.

Caf ruled that Saadeldin was eligible as he was still with his Sudanese club Al Merreikh at the time.