FIFA suspends Kuwait FA

The Kuwait Football Association has been suspended
over a dispute concerning government interference
within the nation's football.

FIFA has suspended the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) "with
immediate effect" after it failed to make changes to sporting law
within the country.

The FIFA Executive Committee wrote to the KFA last
month voicing its concern over the government's level of
influence within the organisation and calling for it to avoid
implementing a new sporting law.

The decision means neither domestic nor international sides
can take part in any matches until the sanction is lifted.

A FIFA statement read: "Today, 16 October 2015, the Kuwait
Football Association has been suspended with immediate effect.

The suspension follows the decision of the FIFA Executive
Committee during its meeting on 24 and 25 September to give
until 15 October 2015 for changes to be made to the sports law
of Kuwait.

"The suspension will be lifted only when the KFA and its
members (the clubs) are able to carry out their activities and
obligations independently.

"As a result of this decision, no team from Kuwait of any sort
(including clubs) can have any international sporting contact
(art. 14 par. 3 of the FIFA Statutes), and neither the KFA nor any
of its members or officials can benefit from any development
programme, course or training from FIFA or the AFC."

Kuwait had enjoyed a strong start to their qualifying campaign
for the 2018 World Cup, having taken 10 points from their
opening five games in the second round of the Asian section.

They have twice been given a similar ban in 2007 and 2008,
while Indonesia were hit with a suspension in May which ruled
them out of competing in the World Cup qualifiers, yet domestic
clubs had issued a statement earlier this month saying they
supported the new regulations being administered by the
Kuwaiti authorities.

Kuwait is home to powerful sports broker Sheikh Ahmad Al-
Fahad Al-Sabah, a member of the International Olympic
Committee and the FIFA Executive Committee, who had been
tipped as a potential successor to president Sepp Blatter.

FIFA has also confirmed that the executive committee of
Thailand's Football Association (FAT) has been replaced by a
normalisation committee following the 90-day suspension of
president Worawi Makudi.

The new body's functions "will include revising the FAT electoral
code and conducting the election of a new FAT executive
committee by 15 February 2016 at the latest".