FIFA lawyers considered sanctions over DR Congo goalkeeper

FIFA lawyers considered sanctions over DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi’s eligibility before the team’s World Cup qualifying playoff, but no action was taken, according to reports citing internal FIFA documents. Separately, the Norwegian Football Federation filed complaints with two FIFA committees on October 5, asking them to examine three controversies involving FIFA president Gianni Infantino. No committee findings have been reported. The eligibility reports say FIFA lawyers considered options that included banning Mpasi and disqualifying DR Congo from its intercontinental playoff against Jamaica in March. Mpasi subsequently played for DR Congo at the World Cup, including in its round-of-32 match against England. The reports describe him as allegedly ineligible because he had not completed the process to switch his international eligibility from France, whose under-17 team he had represented. The accounts say Mpasi had played in five qualifying matches. One reported option was to remove DR Congo from the playoff; the reports also said that forfeiting the relevant qualifying results could have affected which team advanced from the African playoff stage.