Zurich: Cape Verde will not be reinstated in the World Cup after Fifa dismissed the tiny African nation’s appeal in an ineligible player case.
Fifa says it informed the Cape Verdean Football Association on Tuesday of the ruling, which confirms Tunisia’s place in the qualifying playoffs.
Tunisia will face Cameroon in a two-leg playoff on October 13 and November 17.
Cape Verde beat Tunisia 2-0 in a decisive group match last month, but selected defender Fernando Varela who was serving a four-match suspension for a red card in a previous qualifier.
Fifa awarded Tunisia a 3-0 victory by default, reversing the standings at the top of the group.
Varela’s red card stayed on the record despite opponent Equatorial Guinea forfeiting that match in March for also fielding an ineligible player.