Fifa is set to investigate allegations against Ecuador as Chile claimed they fielded an ineligible player in a World Cup qualifier game. Chile filed a complaint with world football’s governing body claiming that Ecuador’s Byron Castillo is Colombian, and has falsified his age. The Football Federation of Chile (FFC) claims the 23-year-old defender used a false birth certificate and nationality to register as Ecuadorian.
Fifa Opens Case Against Ecuador
If true, under Fifa rules Ecuador could have to forfeit their World Cup place. Ecuador finished fourth in Conmebol qualifying and claimed an automatic place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar ahead of Peru, who must play Australia or the United Arab Emirates in a play-off in June. Chile finished seventh.
Fifa in a statement said: “Fifa has decided to open disciplinary proceedings about Byron David Castillo Segura’s possible breach of the call criteria for the indicated matches.” Castillo played in eight of Ecuador’s 18 qualifiers, matches in which they picked up 14 of their 26 points.
But Chile says that Ecuador should forfeit the eight games Castillo played in, and their opponents are awarded three points for each of them. That would see Chile move above Colombia and Peru into the fourth automatic spot. Chile’s statement says: “There are innumerable proofs that the player was born in Colombia, in the city of Tumaco, on July 25, 1995, and not on November 10, 1998, in the Ecuadorian city of General Villamil Playas.”
