The warning comes after the Ministry of Sports has issued a series of regulations that are said to affect the autonomy and independence of national sports federations, including the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). This month, the FFSL reportedly held elections that fell short of the standards agreed with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), chaired by an ally of the sports minister.
FIFA said in a letter on Sunday that the FFSL was suspended “until further notice”.
The suspension will prevent Sri Lanka from participating in the international competition, which is in the midst of a major economic crisis, partly due to corruption. Sri Lanka’s men’s team ranks him 207th in the world rankings and the women’s ranks his 155th.
