FIFA has slapped yet another nation with a ban from all footballing activities after recently lifting a suspension on Kenya.
The world football organising body has confirmed that it has banned Sri Lanka from all their international competitions due to government interference.
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The country was handed a "red notice" after its ministry of sports introduced a raft of new laws that jeopardise the autonomy and independence of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), among other national sports bodies, according to Sportstar.
It is said that the FFSL held an election earlier this month, but its proceedings failed to meet the standards agreed upon by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as an ally of the sports minister became chairperson.
FIFA has since issued a circular to the FFSL confirming their immediate suspension.
"We hereby inform you that, as a result of the decision taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council on 21st January 2023, the FFSL has been suspended until further notice in accordance with article 16 of the FIFA statutes," the letter stated.
"Consequently, with effect from 21st January 2023, the FFSL has lost all of its membership rights, as defined in article 13 of the FIFA statutes, until further notice. The FFSL representative and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to take part in international competitions until the suspension is lifted.
"This also means that neither the FFSL nor any of its members or officials may benefit from any development programs, courses, or training from FIFA and/or the AFC.
"Moreover, we would remind you and your affiliates not to enter into any sporting contact with the FFSL and/or its teams while the FFSL is suspended."
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Sri Lanka now join a host of national teams that have been banned by the organisation in the past two years specifically for government interference, including Chad, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Kenya, although the latter has since been reinstated after complying with the conditions of their ban.
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