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"&lt;p&gt;               &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Ethiopia had three points taken away by FIFA on Monday in World Cup qualifying for fielding an ineligible player in a game against Botswana.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; FIFA said Ethiopia forfeited its 2-1 win in Botswana on June 8 because Minyahile Beyene played in that game when he was suspended for receiving two yellow cards in earlier qualifiers. FIFA has awarded the match to Botswana 3-0.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The sanction means Ethiopia is only two points ahead of South Africa and three ahead of Botswana. Ethiopia is not guaranteed a place in Africa's final playoffs for the World Cup going into the final round of Group A games in September.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Sudan and Gabon have already forfeited games in the World Cup qualifying competition for ineligible players.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; FIFA's disciplinary committee also fined Ethiopia's federation $6,348.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The Ethiopian Football Federation is unlikely to appeal the punishment having already admitted that Minyahile should not have played in Botswana.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Minyahile was allowed to play because of an administrative blunder where officials \"forgot\" he was suspended, the federation said.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; The EFF leadership also said it would step down in September because of the potentially costly mistake.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Ethiopia beat South Africa 2-1 at home in its latest game on June 16 and thought it had qualified for the 10-team playoffs, which will decide Africa's five countries at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Ethiopia has never played at the World Cup.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; However, FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Ethiopia over Minyahile on the same day it celebrated its progress.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; South Africa, the 2010 World Cup host, has eight points and hosts Botswana in the final round of games on Sept. 6.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; South Africa coach Gordon Igesund said he was \"very pleased with the outcome.\"    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; \"We welcome the decision, which I believe was expected,\" Igesund said on Monday. \"It was never in doubt because rules are rules, so in our view it is a correct decision.\"    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Ethiopia, with 10 points, faces an away game against Central African Republic, which could be played in neutral territory because of ongoing unrest in the country.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Botswana, with seven points, has an outside chance of qualifying for the playoffs if it beats South Africa and Ethiopia loses to Central African Republic, which cannot qualify.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; FIFA also is investigating two other African countries -- Togo and Equatorial Guinea -- for allegedly fielding ineligible players in World Cup qualifying, which could throw two other groups into chaos.    &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Togo could forfeit its 2-0 win over Cameroon in Group I, which would put Cameroon ahead of Libya. Equatorial Guinea could forfeit points to Cape Verde in Group B.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Copyright 2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.      &lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/soccer/2013/07/01/ethiopia-world-cup-qualifying>