By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – Gambia is the latest country to risk being kicked out of world football after FIFA warned that the tiny West African country faces “severe sanctions” as a punishment for the Government dissolving the Gambia Football Association (GFA) following a 2013 African Nations Cup qualifying defeat to Algeria.
FIFA says it has written to the GFA, insisting it has not “recognised and/or condoned” the move.
“In particular, no Governmental instituted ‘interim committee’ would be recognised and/or dealt with by FIFA,” a FIFA statement said.
“FIFA underlines that any action taken against the GFA’s executive committee would constitute a clear Governmental interference and therefore infringe the FIFA Statutes which could lead to severe sanctions.”
On Monday (March 5), Gambia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports appointed an Interim Committee of its own choosing to oversee the country’s football for the next 12 months.
“Following the dissolution of the GFA executive on Friday 2nd March, the Ministry of Youth and Sports has taken the decision to set up an interim committee to steer the affairs of the FA till congress which is due in one year’s time,” a Ministry statement said.
It said it took such action due to a “lack of confidence by the Government in the FA executive because Gambian football failed to make headway in continental and global competition”.
Last Wednesday (February 29), Gambia lost 2-1 at home to Algeria, hardly a disgrace given the respective footballing pedigrees of the two countries.
The Gambian national team is not scheduled to play again until June 1 when facing Morocco in a friendly – ahead of various World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifiers later that month.
So in theory there is plenty of time to mend relations.
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