Protest sees Wairarapa United disqualified

Football

Wairarapa United have been disqualified from the ASB Chatham Cup after fielding an ineligible player against Napier City Rovers last week, according to a New Zealand Football media statement yesterday afternoon.

The issue revolved around whether United's Vanuatu talent Brian Kaltak was eligible to be classified as a guest player.

New Zealand Football said they granted the classification request based on the evidence provided by the club "but it has since surfaced that Kaltak was outside the country when the application was made, only arriving back in New Zealand on June 14, two days before the ASB Chatham Cup match and two days after Wairarapa's request to reclassify the player was submitted".

Kaltak spent the summer playing for Solomon Warriors in the OFC Champions League without being properly registered.

No international transfer certificate (ITC) was obtained for the teenager to play in Vanuatu, something that would have alerted New Zealand parties to his ineligibility to be reclassified as a guest player.

The decision is subject to appeal and any such actions would be considered under urgency, the statement said.

United coach Phil Keinzley said they were checking the appeal process, and he believed they had "a good case" for appeal.

"We've engaged a specialist sports solicitor. It appears we have got seven days [to appeal]. On the face of it, we believe we have got a good case."