FIFA suspends AIFF due to third-party interference 

FIFA Announced on August 16 that it would be suspending the functioning of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and, consequently, all non-domestic football interactions of the AIFF. The said decision came in pursuance of the allegations against third-party involvement in managing the operations of the AIFF. 

The non-conduction of elections and the intrusion of the Committee of Administrators appointed by the Supreme Court to manage the affairs of the AIFF was deemed a third-party interference. FIFA requires that national football federations operate independently without interference from third parties. Previous instances of third-party interferences in Pakistan and Nigeria act as worthy precedents to the case at hand and support FIFA’s decision in the current instance. 

Also Read – Explained: Why a FIFA ban is looking increasingly likely for India

Owing to the ban, the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup scheduled to be held in October 2022 will have to be reworked. FIFA stated that it is constantly communicating with the Indian Ministry of Youth and Affairs to reach a positive outcome. 

Lastly, the said ban will be lifted only once FIFA is satisfied that the AIFF has indeed regained its absolute control over the functioning of the federation.