FIFA has suspended Congo-Brazzaville from international football due to interference from third parties in the country’s football federation, Fecofoot.
The global governing body of the sport cited a “particularly serious situation” involving undue influence, which it deemed a clear breach of Fecofoot’s obligations under FIFA’s statutes. This suspension was implemented after FIFA and CAF (the Confederation of African Football) sent two missions to Brazzaville to assess the situation.
FIFA’s statement outlined that the suspension will only be lifted once certain conditions are met. These include the return of full control of Fecofoot’s headquarters and halting attempts to alter the signatories on the federation’s bank accounts.
As a result of the suspension, Congo’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Tanzania and Zambia, scheduled for March, are now in jeopardy.
Congo is currently at the bottom of Group E, having failed to earn any points after a disciplinary decision by FIFA awarded Niger a 3-0 win. This ruling followed the cancellation of a match between the two teams in June of the previous year. Congo was supposed to be the home side for that match, but the game was moved to Kinshasa, DR Congo, as Congo-Brazzaville’s stadiums were deemed unsuitable. However, the Congolese team did not travel to the game, claiming there was a stadium in Brazzaville that could have hosted the match.
SOURCE: BBC
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