Cameroon have been docked six points ahead of their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign after breaking a pledge to FIFA that they would not wear their controversial one-piece strip in the African Nations Cup knock-out phase.

Cameroon, who were beaten in the quarter-finals by Nigeria in Tunisia in February, have also been fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($154,000) by world soccer's governing body.

"FIFA had shown leniency at the time for Cameroon's attire in the group round of the competition after the (Cameroon soccer) association had given assurances that the team would wear authorised playing kit in the knock-out phases," FIFA said in a statement on Friday.

"Despite this agreement, Cameroon subsequently wore the same equipment in the quarter-finals."

FIFA wanted Cameroon to wear regulation shirts and shorts.

Cameroon, who turned up for the 2002 African Nations Cup in Mali sporting sleeveless shirts which were subsequently banned by FIFA, wore athletics-style kit this time round.

The outfits also featured eye-catching red claw marks down the sides and concealed zips in the shoulders.

The six-point deduction will hinder but probably not sink Cameroon's World Cup qualifying campaign, which begins in June when they host Benin.

Their other Group Three opponents are Egypt, Ivory Coast, Libya and Sudan. A maximum 30 points can be won by any team successful in all their 10 matches with the group winner qualifying for the 2006 finals in Germany.

Cameroon, known as the Indomitable Lions, made their first appearance at a World Cup in 1982 and have qualified for each tournament since 1990 when veteran Roger Milla led them to the quarter-finals in Italy.

They won the Olympic gold medal in Sydney in 2000 and were African Nations Cup champions in 2000 and 2002.

Many of Cameroon's squad play in Europe's top teams and include Manchester United's Eric Djembe Djembe and Rigobert Song from RC Lens.