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Benin Football Federation Suspended By FIFA

Benin Football Federation Suspended By FIFA

The Benin Football Federation (FBF) has been suspended by FIFA following a court ruling in the West African country which blocked elections to determine FBF members.

World football governing body FIFA often steps in when politics in its member associations become involved with the running of football federations in their countries.

This is the case in Benin, and as a result, they have been suspended from global football with immediate effect.

An official statement from FIFA revealed that: “the Benin Football Association (FBF) was suspended with immediate effect due to a recent injunction by a local judicial court which impeded the holding of the due election.”

On May 4 a court ruling in Benin led to the prevention of the FBF holding presidential elections. FIFA explained that the suspension would be lifted when a new Executive Committee was voted into office at the FBF.

Suspended By FIFA – AFCON Qualification In Danger

The decision concerning the Benin authorities was made at the inaugural FIFA Council meeting which is underway at the moment in Mexico.

The ruling affects Benin’s qualifying campaign for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which is to be hosted in Gabon early next year.

The Benin national team find themselves second in Group C, two points behind group-leaders Mali, and as a result of the suspension, the Squirrels will not be able to welcome Equatorial Guinea on the weekend of 3-5 June for their next AFCON qualifier.

Benin is then scheduled to take on Mali in September’s away match, but it is not clear whether the authorities will be able to have their suspension revoked by that time.

Only the group winners progress to the tournament in Gabon, and missing even a single game could put that qualification in jeopardy.

At the same meeting in Mexico, FIFA ratified the recent decision to appoint a normalisation committee to run the daily affairs of the Guinea Football Federation.