Football
Associated Press 7y

FIFA suspends Mali teams because of government interference

FIFA has suspended Mali's teams and officials from international football because of government interference in how the country's federation, Femafoot, is run.

World football's governing body said in a statement that it had decided to act after Mali's sports minister "decided to dissolve the executive committee" of the national federation.

Mali's World Cup qualifying programme will not be immediately affected, with the next match, against Morocco, taking place on Aug. 28.

Both Malian teams in the African Champions League have already been eliminated from the competition.

FIFA rules protect the independence of elected football officials from political intervention.

The organisation said it would lift the suspension "once ministerial decisions are nullified and the executive committee of Femafoot and its president, Boubacar Baba Diarra, is reinstated."

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