Message To Nigerian Government: Hands Off Or Else!

The folks at FIFA take a dim view at government interference.

News From Down Under

I looks as if the A-League has plans for a system of promotion and relegation:

With the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA putting pressure on the league to introduce a multi-tier system, Buckley confirmed FFA had informed the AFC it would have plans in place within the next five months.
"We said to the AFC we would get back to them by October this year as to what our plan is via promotion-relegation," Buckley said.
"They understand our situation and they've accepted that we will have a plan in place by October this year and that will be for an implementation for a promotion-relegation system, not at this point in time but for some years to come.

They are also considering expansion of the league, to possibly add a club representing the Pacific islands:

Football Federation Australia chairman Frank Lowy publicly encouraged the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to investigate an A-League franchise, saying they would be welcomed into the competition.
Lowy met with OFC representatives on Saturday to discuss the prospect.
"I think it would be very good for the A-League," Lowy said.
"There are 11 million people in Oceania and if we can attract a team from the islands to play in the A-League we can attract another 10 or 11 million viewers.
"I invited the Oceania Confederation to create a team of all the islands and if they do that, we will be able to accommodate them in the A-League and they certainly seemed very interested in that."

These developments are taking place as Australia is putting on a bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Temporary Reprieve For Iraq

It was announced Thursday that FIFA will, for the time being, lift its suspension of Iraq's soccer federation:

However, FIFA agreed to revoke the ban after the Iraqi government provided written assurances that they had not dissolved the Iraqi Football Association (IFA).

FIFA released a statement on Thursday confirming they had lifted the ban so Sunday's World Cup qualifier would proceed but warned Baghdad that it was only provisional and had conditions attached.

FIFA said they still had concerns over the Iraqi government's attempts to control its national federations and have called for a delegation from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the IFA to join them to Zurich to discuss the issues.

This weekend's 2010 World Cup qualifying match between Iraq and Australia will be played as scheduled.

Iraq Banned?!

At Sydney, Australia:

FIFA on Monday suspended Iraq's soccer federation because of Baghdad's disbanding of the country's National Olympic Committee and all sports federations.

The executive board of world soccer's governing body announced it had imposed the ban after the Iraq government dissolved its National Olympic Committee and national sport federations in breach of FIFA and Olympic regulations.

The board will recommend that the FIFA Congress, which meets in Sydney on Friday, suspends Iraq from all tournaments for 12 months, but left the door open for a reprieve if Baghdad reversed its decision by 1400 GMT on Thursday.


This should teach government to take their noses out of the businesses of the various sports federations.

Brazil Lands 2014 FIFA World Cup

At Zurich, Switzerland:

On Tuesday, FIFA awarded the 2014 World Cup to Brazil (which was the only candidate), which last hosted the event in 1950. It marks the first time that soccer's premier event will take place on the South American continent since Argentina hosted it in 1978. FIFA awarded the 2011 Women's World Cup to Germany.