FIFA lift Myanmar World Cup ban on appeal
Reuters - Monday 07 November 2011, 10:36
Myanmar's ban from the 2018
World Cup qualifiers has been lifted on appeal but they
must play all their qualifying home games on neutral territory,
FIFA said on Monday.
Myanmar, who have never qualified for the World Cup finals,
were initially banned by FIFA after crowd trouble halted their
2014 Asian qualifying match against Oman in July.
"The Myanmar Football Federation will be... reintegrated
into the preliminary competition," said FIFA in a statement.
"[Myanmar] will now be required to play all their home
matches in the preliminary competition for the 2018 World Cup on
neutral ground in another country."
Myanmar will still have to pay a fine of 25,000 Swiss francs
($28,000).
Already 2-0 down from the first leg in the preliminary round
tie, Myanmar were also trailing 2-0 in the second leg in their
capital Yangon when the violence broke out just before the end
of the first half.
FIFA immediately awarded Oman a 2-0 victory which saw them
through to the next stage and left Myanmar eliminated from the
2014 competition.
Japanese referee Ryuji Sato was forced to halt the game two
minutes into stoppage time at the end of the first half when
fans hurled rocks and glass bottles at him, visiting coach Paul
Le Guen and the Oman players.
Despite a heavy police presence, Myanmar fans turned unruly
when Sato awarded a penalty to Oman with the home side already
trailing 1-0.