News Brief: Chile appeal to unseat Ecuador for World Cup place

The Football Federation of Chile is seeking, through a FIFA appeal, the cancellation of 14 points earned by Ecuador in South America's World Cup qualifying campaign for fielding an ineligible player.

That outcome would see the Chilean team take over Ecuador's fourth-place finish in South America qualifying and grant the team an automatic qualifying spot for the World Cup later this year. Chile finished seventh in qualifying- and unless this unlikely last-ditch appeal succeeds- has no chance of making it to Qatar.

In a complaint lodged with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, the Chilean federation alleges that Ecuador played a defender- Byron Castillo, who was born in Colombia and not naturalised under FIFA rules to be eligible to play for Ecuador- in several qualification matches.

They say Ecuador should lose qualification points earned in each of the eight matches Castillo played.

Ecuador's football federation has denied any wrongdoing, and Castillo was previously ruled an Ecuadorian citizen by a national Court in April last year.

Earlier in the week, FIFA confirmed the receipt of the complaint and that they would open disciplinary proceedings to deal with Castillo's eligibility.

Despite the Chilean federation claiming to have presented evidence to FIFA that Ecuador falsified documents in relation to Castillo, the appeal is considered by independent experts as almost certain not to generate the remedy the Chileans seek, even if Ecuador was found to have breached qualifying rules.

FIFA's Disciplinary Committee has a range of sanctions available to it if a rule breach is substantiated, and a more likely penalty against Ecuador would include a financial sanction.

Chile is not the only country to lodge last-ditch attempts to qualify for the World Cup. Both Egypt and Algeria have lodged separate long-shot complaints with FIFA, unsuccessfully seeking replays of their final World Cup qualifying matches in the hope of reversing their failure to qualify.