By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – In what could be a huge embarrassment to their most influential sports supremo and FIFA executive committee member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Kuwait face the prospect of being thrown out of World Cup qualifying after failing to resolve a case of government interference in the running of the sport domestically.
FIFA suspended Kuwait last month and set a deadline for resolving the issue of national sports law. But with no resolution before yesterday’s qualifier against Myanmar in neutral Bangkok, the match “did not take place”, FIFA said in a statement, throwing Kuwait’s footballing future into doubt.
“The matter has been referred to the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for its consideration. Further information will follow in due course,” FIFA added.
Kuwait, second behind South Korea in Group G, have two more qualifiers scheduled in March and will be aware that there is precedent in the case of Indonesia who were also banned for government interference in May and immediately kicked out of Group F of joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying.
In its original suspension of Kuwait, FIFA said the ban would only be lifted “when the Kuwait Football Assocation (KFA) and its members (the clubs) are able to carry out their activities and obligations independently”.
Kuwait have twice previously been banned for government interference, in 2007 and 2008, and the latest sanction is a unwanted blow to Sheikh Ahmad, recently elected to FIFA’s executive committee. As well as being as being a member of the FIFA exco, Sheikh Ahmad is also on FIFA’s much-touted Reform Committee as well as being president of the Olympic Council of Asia and the Association of National Olympic Committees.
Already two Kuwait clubs have been removed from the Asian Cup whilst Kuwait’s cabinet have decided the country will step down as hosts of next month’s Gulf Cup, describing FIFA’s decision to ban the country from all international football as “arbitrary and hasty.”
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