Namibia lose bid to replace Burkina Faso

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Namibia have lost their attempt to replace Burkina Faso at the Africa Cup of Nations after sport's highest tribunal rejected their protest that the West Africans had fielded an ineligible player against them.

Namibia, beaten twice by Burkina Faso in the qualifiers, alleged that their opponents had fielded Cameroon-born defender Herve Zengue when he was not qualified to play.

However, on Tuesday the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Namibia's appeal against the African confederation's decision not to sanction Burkina Faso.

"Herve Zengue was born in Cameroon and took a residency in Burkina Faso in 1994," it said in a statement.

"He got a Burkinabe nationality certificate on September 14 2006. On March 25 2011, the player received a five-year passport from Burkina Faso."

CAF had initially rejected Namibia's protest on a technicality while Burkina Faso said Zengue was eligible to play for them because he was married to a Burkinabe woman.

Zengue was not included in Burkina's cup squad named last week.