Sao Tome and Principe have been kicked out of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, less than three weeks before the start of the games.

The elimination comes after forward Luis Leal failed to provide a valid Covid-19 test prior to their preliminary round victory over Mauritius in March.

The incident occurred during the first leg which Sao Tome won 1-0.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have now overtuned the result and awarded Mauritius a 3-0 win.

The boardroom decision leaves Sao Tome eliminated from the competition with Mauritius taking their place in Group A of the qualifiers, which also includes Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.

“The CAF Disciplinary Board found Sao Tome e Principe Football Federation guilty of fielding an ineligible player for the said match and imposed a forfeit of the match played against Mauritius,” CAF said in a statement.

“Furthermore, the Disciplinary Board has also imposed a fine of $10 000 against the Sao Tome and Principe Football Federation.”