July 10 – FIFA has suspended the Sudan Football Association (SFA) with immediate effect after the government refused to reinstate FIFA-recognised SFA president Dr Mutasim Gaafar ahead of the Sudan Ministry of Justice recognised General Abdel Rahman Sir Elkatim.
Abdel Rahman won SFA elections in April but these were not recognised by FIFA who had ordered a six month suspension to holding elections in the country.
FIFA said that “despite the decision of the Bureau of the FIFA Council, the decree of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of 2 June 2017 has not been declared null and void. As a consequence, FIFA has been obliged to suspend the SFA in accordance with the aforementioned decision adopted by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.
“The suspension will be lifted only once the decree of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice of 2 June 2017 is declared null and void and the Board of Directors of the SFA with its President, Dr Mutasim Gaafar Sir Elkhatim, is reinstated.”
SFA representative and club teams will now be excluded from international competitions until the suspension is lifted. SFA members are also excluded from any development programmes by FIFA or Confederation of African Football (CAF) under this ban and can not have sporting contact with other FIFA member nations during the ban.
A compromise agreement had initially believed to have been reached allowing the FIFA-recognised sitting executive committee to return to their offices at the SFA premises with football affairs to be jointly run by both groups until the SFA law is reformed and a new election is held in late October.
That compromise allowed club side Al Hilal Obeid to reach the African Confederation Cup quarter-finals after a 2-0 win over Recreativo Libolo of Angola.
But their progression, like that of the country internationally, now looks to be caught in a political power play.
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