FIFA Suspends Mali From From International Football

Farouk Mohammed March 17, 2017

Less than a minute

Mali team picture (back row l-r): Coulibaly Adama, Diabate Cheick, Traore Kalilou, Ndiaye Mahamadou , Traore Abdou, Maiga Modibo and Samassa Mamadou (front row l-r): Coulibaly Ousmane, Traore Mahamane, Traore Kalilou and Coulibaly Idrissa during African Cup of Nation Qualifiers match between Botswana and Mali on the 13 October 2012 at Lebatse Stadium, Botswana ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

World football governing body FIFA on Friday in Zurich said all of Mali’s football clubs have been suspended from international competitions, after the country’s government interfered in the national association.

Mali Football

The football body took action after Mali’s sports minister, Housseini Amion Guindo, decided to replace the executive body of the Malian Football Association FEMAFOOT with a new provisional leadership.

“The suspension will be lifted once ministerial decisions are nullified,’’ it said in a statement.

In the meantime, FEMAFOOT has lost its FIFA membership rights, and the national team and clubs from the West African country are banned from international events.