Accra, July 20, GNA - Francis Bossman of Accra hearts of Oak has been freed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to feature in the team's second leg encounter against AS Douanes in Dakar towards the final qualifier to the mini league stage of the Confederations Cup on Saturday.
A statement signed by Ashford Tettey-Oku, Administrative Manager of the team copied to the GNA Sports said the club had to seek a special clearance for Bossman as his peculiar case seemed to be a grey area in the CAF rules.
He said Article 27 (2) of the law governing the CAF Champions league, which Hearts had participated in before joining the Confederations Cup after their eliminations, says that, "a player is suspended for two matches if he had previously served an earlier suspension."
Three Hearts players - Emmanuel Osei Kuffour, Daniel Coleman and Francis Bossman were suspended for the first leg encounter for accumulating two cautions, which meant automatic one match suspension. Kuffour and Coleman were subsequently cleared by CAF whilst Bossman's case was left pending awaiting further deliberations.
Mr Tettey-Oku said to seek further clarification, Hearts wrote to CAF on the grounds that the CAF Champions League is different from the Confederations Cup and hence the rule cannot be applied.
He added that Bossman's first suspension was as a result of a send off and not for two cautions in two different matches as happened in the second instance.
Mr Tettey-Oku said on Sunday, July 18 Hearts received a reply from Mustapha Fahmy, General Secretary of CAF who conceded that Bossman's situation had not been anticipated by the framers of the laws and the Disciplinary Committee would therefore study it in their upcoming meeting for the future.
He said CAF decided that in view of the uniqueness of the Bossman case, the player would therefore be eligible for next Saturday's return encounter schedule for the stade Ngalandou Diouf, Dakar.
Meanwhile Bossman who is currently on trials with SC Armenia Bielefeld of Germany together with Daniel Coleman with the Black Meteors are expected back in Accra on Tuesday to join their colleagues for the match.
Hearts would need all their players for the all important encounter since their slim one goal lead over the Senegalese in the first encounter makes the return leg in Dakar very dicey.
The Phobians will go into the match without their central defender Kwabina Boafo, who attracted his second caution in the first leg played at the Accra Sports Stadium on July 11. 20 July 04
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