FIFA Monday suspended Iraq from international competition ahead of this weekend's World Cup qualifier against Australia after the government in Baghdad dissolved the Iraq Football Association. "The FIFA Executive Committee decided to suspend the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) as of today," FIFA said in a statement, cited by AFP.
The FIFA Executive Committee also decided that the case of the Iraqi Football Association would be presented to the FIFA Congress on 30 May for suspension until the FIFA Congress in 2009, namely one year.
But it offered a glimmer of hope to Iraq by saying the suspension could be lifted if they receive written confirmation by Thursday from the Iraqi government that the decree to dissolve the association has been annulled. The Iraqi government dissolved the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations on May 20.
The Iraqi national team is set to play Australia in Brisbane on Sunday.
