The Nicaraguan Football Federation (Fenifut) rejected on Tuesday Concacaf's decision to expel it from the 2023 Gold Cup for allegedly improperly fielding a player born in Uruguay for eight games. In this sense, in a statement via Twitter, they indicated that they will appeal the said decision.

Nicaragua had qualified for the first time in its history for the Gold Cup, whose group stage will begin on June 24, however, it was suspended for improperly fielding Richard Rodriguez Alvez, who was born in 1992 in the Uruguayan city of Toledo.

From the Central American country, they indicate that Richard Rodriguez had obtained Nicaraguan nationality, however, Concacaf determined that he was not yet eligible to form the national team.

🚨 COMUNICADO DE PRENSA 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ESMyHEb7HU

— FENIFUT NICARAGUA (OFICIAL) (@Fenifutnica) June 13, 2023

“Fenifut will adhere to the regulations established by the governing bodies of soccer and will exhaust all the corresponding legal avenues to appeal these sanctions,” that body announced today in a press release released on social networks.

“Nicaragua earned its place sportingly on the field and therefore there can be no sanction against the right to participate in a competition that was obtained legally,” the statement continued.

“Fenifut will be presenting the corresponding appeal immediately, so we call on Concacaf so that, as established in the regulations, its Appeals Committee meets immediately for the due review of the case,” he said.

It is important to emphasize that the Nicaraguan Football Federation was notified on Monday of the decision of the Concacaf Disciplinary Committee.