FIFA suspends Kuwaiti soccer association over government interference

SPORTS

FIFA suspends Kuwaiti soccer association over government interference

The Associated Press Published Friday, October 16, 2015 1:25PM EDT

A man walks next to the FIFA logo at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, Wednesday morning, May 27, 2015. (Ennio Leanza / Keystone)

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ZURICH -- FIFA has suspended Kuwait's football association over government interference.

World soccer's governing body says the sanction against the Kuwait Football Association goes into effect immediately.

FIFA's executive committee in September gave Kuwait until Oct. 15 to make changes to the Gulf country's sports law.

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

Kuwaiti teams and clubs are banned from international competition, and the association and its members are barred from receiving any FIFA development assistance.

Kuwait is currently second behind South Korea in Group G of Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Its next scheduled qualifying match is against Myanmar on Nov. 17.

On Monday, the IOC gave Kuwait a deadline of Oct. 27 to resolve the sports law issue or face suspension from the Olympic body.