Hibernian defender Rocky Bushiri cited by SFA for playing in game when suspended

Hibernian defender Rocky Bushiri has been served with a notice of complaint from the Scottish Football Association’s compliance officer after playing in a match while suspended.

The Belgian was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes of Wednesday’s Premier Sports Cup match against Morton even though he should have been serving a one-match ban after picking up bookings in each of the previous two matches in the tournament against Falkirk and Bonnyrigg.

Hibs drew the match 1-1 and then lost on penalties but the result was switched to a 3-0 defeat on Thursday after the Scottish Professional Football League established that the player was ineligible.

It has subsequently emerged that Bushiri himself faces punishment after being cited for breaching rule 208 which states: “No player or member of Team Staff shall breach a suspension and no club or Football Academy shall allow a player or member of Team Staff to breach a suspension.”

Bushiri will be the subject of a hearing on Thursday, August 11.

Hibs owner Ron Gordon, meanwhile, is adamant there will be no repeat of the administrative error that allowed Bushiri to be included against Morton, killing off the Easter Road side’s already slender hopes of Premier Sports Cup progress.

“The ops department made a boo-boo,” said Gordon in a video call question and answer session with several Hibs podcasts. “Something fell through the cracks. It’s a bit of a shame.

“We are rectifying it. I look at the improvements we have made and that’s one area where we have upgraded.

“Our ops department is better but in this particular case they made a mistake. They feel terrible but if there is a consolation, it’s the fact it doesn’t effect anything.

“It doesn’t change. It would have been really bad if