FIFA bans Iraq from playing at home
Reuters - Friday 23 September 2011, 07:30
Iraq will have to play all their home
qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup and next year's London
Olympics at a neutral venue due to fears over security, the
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said on Friday.
In a letter sent to the Iraq Football Association (IFA),
FIFA raised concerns over security conditions and a breach of
safety regulations in their qualifier with Jordan earlier this
month, according to an AFC statement.
IFA President Najih Hmoud said Iraq would try to have the
ban lifted.
"We will respect the FIFA decision and we will implement it.
But I think it was not appropriate because it was based on
incorrect information," Hmoud told Reuters.
The FIFA letter said Iraq would have to nominate a neutral
ground in Asia for the World Cup qualifying matches by October 1
and the 2012 Olympic qualifiers by October 3.
The venue must not be one of the countries where Iraq is
scheduled to play qualifiers, however.
Iraq, ranked 109 in the FIFA world rankings, lost 2-0 to
Jordan on September 2 at Franso Hariri Stadium in Arbil, which
appeared well over capacity and suffered a power cut during the
match.
Arbil is the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous northern
Kurdish region, which was left relatively undamaged by the war
and is considered among the safest areas in Iraq.
"Arbil is a safe city. FIFA could have sent a fact-finding
delegation. They could have asked the attaches of foreign
embassies in Arbil," Hmoud said. "I don't believe the
circumstances that the report included... are enough to
transfer matches to another venue.
"It is too early to nominate a new venue. There are many
alternatives. We have no problem with that.
"All decisions in the world are subjected to appeal. We will
follow other channels that help Iraq in lifting this ban."
The gulf nation are currently placed third in Group A of the
Asian qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup alongside Jordan, China
and Singapore.