World Football governing body FIFA has suspended Mali from international football due to government interference.
FIFA took the decision today (FRiday 17th March) after the West African country’s sports minister sacked the executive committee of its football federation.
FIFA blamed the actions of sports minister Housseini Amion Guindo after he “decided to dissolve the executive committee of FEMAFOOT (the Malian FA) and appoint a provisional committee mandated to run the association.”
It said Guindo had also ordered the election of a new executive committee within one year.
FIFA insists that its member FAs must be able to manage their affairs independently without government interference.
“The suspension will be lifted once ministerial decisions are nullified and the executive committee of FEMAFOOT and its president, Boubacar Baba Diarra, is reinstated,” said FIFA.