Sport Ánchash loses final to Cantolao but appeals for victory

Sport Ánchash lost 2-0 to Cantolao in the final of the 2016 Segunda División. However, in Peruvian football, winners are often determined off the pitch. José Mallqui, the manager of Sport Ánchash, confirmed on Sunday to RPP Noticias that he will request his team be declared winners of the tournament and awarded promotion to the Primera División. The appeal will be presented to the Commission of Justice of the Asociación de Fútbol Profesional (ADFP) on Monday.

The origin of the problem. Cantolao's Colombian player, Jeferson Collazos, allegedly played the final without the required foreign ID card. According to Mallqui, his team encountered the same problem with Brazilian forward Ronaille Calheira. Despite playing the entire tournament irregularly, Calheira was not fielded in the final match.

Why was Sport Ánchash not sanctioned for the Calheira case? Because no one noticed that detail. A complaint about that case now would be considered untimely. "This complaint could have been made in any of the previous matches, but when reaching a final, all the demands of the tournament rules are scrutinized. We realized that if we played Calheira it would be irregular, and we notified this before the match," commented the director to Deporte al Máximo.

Possibilities. There is a similar precedent that was resolved a few weeks ago. The ADFP ruled in favor of Club César Vallejo, which reported that Mexican player Lampros Kontoggianis had played for Real Garcilaso without a foreign ID card.

Regarding Cantolao's position on this appeal, Pepe Mallqui said: "Their response was that by the time they found out, they had already submitted the lineup and therefore couldn't make changes (to the player Collazos), but that justification is not entirely valid."

What will happen in the coming days? The ADFP will review and pass judgment on the complaint. If it is favorable for Sport Ánchash, they will win 3-0 and be crowned champions of the Segunda División, earning promotion. If it does not proceed, they will have the option to appeal to the Commission of Justice of the Federación Peruana de Fútbol (CJ-FPF).