Ineligible Emerson threatens Qatar 2010 dream

Qatari al-Sadd club Marcio Emerson reacts during the AFC Champions League football match against Saudi Al-Ahli club at Al-Sadd stadium in Doha on March 12, 2008. Al-Sadd won 2-1.

BANGKOK // Qatar begin their final push towards a possible first appearance at the 2010 World Cup finals at home to Uzbekistan tomorrow in a match overshadowed by an impending court verdict that could see them ejected from the competition. Qatar fielded an ineligible player in the 2-0 defeat of Iraq in March, prompting the world governing body Fifa to suspend the player but clear Qatar of any wrongdoing.

The man at the centre of the controversy is Brazilian-born Emerson (left), formerly known as Marcio Passos De Albuquerque, who represented Brazil at youth level and was therefore ineligible, despite his Qatari citizenship. Fifa have twice refused to change the result, however, on the grounds that Iraq had delayed submission of documents by not paying the appeal fees. In June Fifa released a brief statement saying their disciplinary committee had "examined the case and determined that the Qatar Football Association was not responsible".

Iraq have appealed against the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne and a decision is expected on Sept 10, the day Qatar play Bahrain in their second qualifying match. * Reuters