Tunisia is the latest nation running the risk of being banned from the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA has warned Tunisia that they could be excluded if the country’s government interferes in footballing matters, the BBC has reported, and it comes after there were calls for Iran to be kicked out of the tournament in Qatar due to the unrest in the country over human rights.
FIFA rules state that its members must be free from legal and political interference, and that is why they have sent a warning to the country, after Tunisia’s Youth and Sports Minister, Kamel Deguiche, repeatedly spoke about the possibility of “dissolving federal bureaux”.
His comments have been interpreted by FIFA as an attempt to meddle in the running of the country’s football federation (FTF), which could lead to a suspension and missing the World Cup.
Zimbabwe and Kenya are currently serving suspensions handed out by FIFA in relation to governmental interference in football.
FIFA has reportedly asked Tunisia’s football federation for “clarification about attempts to interfere in its internal affairs” and reminded the governing body that its member associations are “legally obligated to conduct their affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties”.
FIFA has given the FTF no later than Friday to issue its reply or face a potential ban which could rule the men’s national team out of the World Cup.
The African side, currently ranked 27th in the world by FIFA, has been drawn alongside Australia, Denmark and defending champions France, in Group D.