Barbados kicked out of World Cup qualifying for fielding ineligible player

Barbados has been eliminated from the 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament by Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) for fielding an ineligible player in the match against Aruba on June 14, according to reports reaching here From Georgetown on Tuesday.

Barbados beat Aruba 1-0 at home in the second leg of its second-round match of Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CNCACAF), after winning the first leg 2-0 in Oranjestad on June 10.

However, FIFA said Barbados fielded Hadan Holligan, the only scorer in the June 14 match, who should have served a one-match ban on that day for receiving yellow cards in two previous games.

FIFA announced that Barbados has therefore been forfeited the game and Aruba has now been awarded a 3-0 victory in the match, giving them a 3-2 aggregate win and qualification for the 12-team third round of CONCACAF qualifying.

The world football's governing body has also ordered the Barbados Football Association (BFA) to pay a fine of about 6,470 U.S. dollars for the costly error.

"The sanction will have immediate effect and as a consequence Aruba will now qualify for the next round," FIFA said in a statement.

Barbados become the first ineligible player case of the 2018 World Cup qualifying. In the 2014 qualifying tournament, FIFA ordered nine African matches defaulted because of ineligible players.

In response, BFA president Randy Harris and general secretary Joyce Stewart both have claimed to take responsibility for the error and offered to resign. Endi