Senegal defender Jakobs cleared to play after administrative issue
Senegal acknowledged “administrative problems” with the former German Under-21 international’s paperwork, casting doubt on his participation, but world football’s governing body confirmed on Monday that a change of association had been approved following a hearing.
Although the 23-year-old was born in Germany, the possibility of appearing in the World Cup convinced him to change his allegiance.
Jakobs played in two international friendlies for Senegal in September before the nation was permitted to change its allegiance from FIFA. He moved from his hometown club FC Cologne to Ligue 1’s Monaco last season.
FIFA regulations allow athletes who have competed for one nation at the international level to switch allegiances if they meet certain requirements, such as being a citizen of the new nation and, in Jakobs’s case, not having represented Germany at the senior level.
Aliou Goloko, the press representative for the Senegal Football Federation, stated on Monday that the delay was due to issues with Jakobs’ passport procedure.
When asked about it by media at his pre-game news conference on Sunday, coach Aliou Cisse expressed his apparent discomfort and irritation.
Jakobs and Moussa Ndiaye, a 20-year-old Anderlecht defender who has arrived to take Sadio Mane’s number 10 shirt in the squad after the African Footballer of the Year were forced to withdraw due to injury on the eve of the tournament, were both named as substitutes on Monday for the Group A match at the Al Thumama Stadium.
source:nsemwokrom.com
