Caf has eliminated Sierra Leone from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, effectively confirming Ghana and Kenya among the qualified teams for the final tournament.
The Leone Stars, who were unable to honour their last three matches of qualifying Group F due to a Fifa ban on their football association, have been kicked out of the series with just one round of games to go.
The results of their two games played thus far - against Kenya (2-1 win) and Ethiopia (1-0 defeat) - have been nullified, leaving only three teams in the group.
"The Caf Executive Committee at its meeting on Friday, 30 November 2018 in Accra decided on the case of Sierra Leone in the 2019 Total Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers," a statement from the continental football's governing body on Monday reads.
"Sierra Leone is disqualified from the qualifiers and all its matches are annulled.
By the current standings, Kenya and Ghana, with seven and six points to their names respectively, have secured qualification tickets for the final tournament ahead of the final and only remaining match of the group which coincidentallly involves the two sides in March next year.
Five points adrift of the Black Stars on the second position and without any more games to play, Ethiopia are out of the race.
Nothing but group winners status is up for grabs when the Black Stars host the Harambee Stars in March next year.
Sierra Leone's hopes of playing at the Afcon for the first time since 1996 was dealt a blow in October when Fifa slapped the Leone Stars' FA with an indefinite ban from football for governmental inteference less than 48 hours to their matchday three fixture against Ghana.
With the ban still holding, John Keister's outfit.were not able to honour their matchday four and five fixtures ahead of the final matchday next year.
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