Tunisia Could Be Booted From World Cup, FIFA Warns
FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, has warned the Tunisian Football Federation that the country’s national team could be booted from the World Cup 2022 in Qatar over possible government interference in the sport organization.
Tunisia qualified for this year’s World Cup, the sixth time it has appeared in the international tournament. The team, which sits in Group D, is slated to go up against Denmark on November 22 in its first appearance in the 2022 competition. Tunisia has never made it out of the early stages of the tournament
FIFA Director of Membership Associations Kenny Jean-Marie sent a letter to the Tunisian Football Federation earlier this week seeking clarification after Tunisia’s Youth and Sports Minister Kamel Deguiche threatened to disband some federal offices, which FIFA sees as an attempt to interfere with the operation of the country’s football federation.
According to FIFA’s bylaws, all of its member federations must be free and independent, and not subject to legal or political interference. They are “legally obligated to conduct their affairs independently and without undue influence from third parties.”
The global games held every four years and making their first appearance in the Middle East, will be played between November 20 and December 18 this year due to the unbearable heat that Qatar experiences in the summer. It is the first time that the international FIFA championship tournament is being played in a Muslim and an Arab country.