Pakistan, Chad suspended by FIFA over governance disputes

Pakistan, Chad suspended by FIFA over governance disputes
April 7, 2021, 8:40 am

FIFA's logo is seen in front of its headquarters during a foggy autumn day in Zurich, Switzerland November 18, 2020. (File photo: Reuters)

FIFA suspended the national football federations of Pakistan and Chad on Wednesday amid disputes about how they should be run.

The Pakistan Football Federation, known as the PFF, was suspended for “third-party interference” for the second time in four years after a group of officials and protesters occupied the body’s headquarters last month.

The protesters oppose a “normalization committee” appointed by FIFA to run the sport in Pakistan after years of infighting by groups of officials. The takeover of the PFF headquarters has already disrupted the national women’s championship.

“This suspension will only be lifted once FIFA has received confirmation from the normalization committee of the PFF that the PFF’s premises, accounts, administration and communication channels are again under its full control and it can continue to carry out its mandate without further hindrance,” FIFA said.

Pakistan was previously suspended from October 2017 to March 2018 after FIFA objected to a court decision to appoint an outside administrator to run the PFF after another dispute over a contested election. FIFA opposes governments or courts getting involved in football disputes.

The suspension for Chad comes after the African country’s government tried to dissolve the national football federation and appoint new officials to run the sport. FIFA said it will lift the suspension if the government repeals those decisions and hands back power to the president of the football federation.

Chad was disqualified from African Cup of Nations qualifying last month when the Confederation of African Football ordered it to forfeit two games as a result of the dispute.