By Osasu Obayiuwana BBC Sport

Santos (in white) was born in Brazil

Fifa executive member Ismail Bhamjee has declared his opposition to the growing number of African countries granting citizenship to foreigners in order to use them for international matches.

Tunisia used two naturalised Brazilians - Francileudo Dos Santos and Jose Clayton - in their 2004 Nations Cup winning team.

Rwanda, which made its debut at the tournament, picked Angolan national Joao Rafael Elias and DR Congo born goalkeeper Ramadhani Nkunzingoma.

Togo - which failed to qualify for the Cup of Nations finals- also gave citizenship to Brazilians Faria Alexandro and Jefferson De Souza, who played for the West African nation in the qualifiers.

Botswana's Bhamjee, who played a role in the recent decision of Fifa's emergency committee to draw up stricter rules for the change of football nationality, said the trend could have grave implications for African football.

This is another form of cheating Fifa executive member Ismail Bhamjee

"The situation is becoming ridiculous. Giving overnight nationality to players with no attachment to that country is wrong," he told the BBC Sport website in London.

"We are not talking about club football. We are talking about playing for your nation.

"Do you think someone given overnight citizenship can be really proud to play for that country?

"As far as I am concerned, this is another form of cheating," Bhamjee said.

Rwanda's Elias was born in Angola

Fifa ruled on 17 March that players with no family or other ancestral ties to a country must have lived continuously for at least two years on the territory of the new nation they wish to play for.

But Bhamjee believes that Fifa's ruling is not strict enough.

"Some people may describe me as old-fashioned, but I really do not think two years is long enough.

"Most countries do not allow people out of football to assume citizenship after a short time. Five years or more is usually the norm.