FIFA, Gambia agree to compromise over FA's future
Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:24pm GMT
By Mark Gleeson JOHANNESBURG
(Reuters) - FIFA and the Gambia have agreed a compromise over the
dissolution of the west African country's FA which will hold elections
for a new board later this year, world soccer's governing body said on
Wednesday.
The decision comes after a meeting between FIFA president Sepp
Blatter and Gambia sports minister Alieu Jammeh in Zurich on Tuesday, in
which it was agreed a "normalisation" committee would take over the
running of the FA's affairs with elections due to be held by the end of
September.
The deal sees off the threat that the Gambia could be excluded from
June's start of the group stage of Africa's qualifiers for the 2014
World Cup in Brazil.
"The tasks assigned to the normalisation committee include the
adoption of new statutes in line with FIFA recommendations and the
organisation of the elections of a new board according to the new
statutes," a FIFA spokesman said in a statement to Reuters.
Gambia's government dissolved the country's FA earlier this month in
reaction to a 2-1 home defeat by Algeria at the start of the 2013
African Nations Cup qualifiers.
The country was initially threatened with expulsion from world
football by FIFA, which usually takes a strong stance against state
interference in the affairs of member associations.
However, Tuesday's decision effectively endorsed the removal of the current leadership of the Gambia FA.
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