Asian Champions banned from competing in FIFA competitions after Iraqi
Government scraps all national sport federations.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JULY 29, 2007) WORLD SPORT GROUP -
Iraq faces a year in the soccer wilderness after FIFA suspended it
from all international competitions on Monday (May 26) and issued an ultimatum
to Baghdad. 
    The executive board of world soccer's governing body announced it had
imposed the ban after the Iraq government dissolved its National Olympic
Committee and national sport federations in breach of FIFA and Olympic
regulations. 
    It's a far cry from the scenes of celebration in Baghdad last July, as
the nation's soccer team made it the Asian Cup Final against a powerful Saudi
Arabia side. Few people had given Iraq any chance of winning the tournament
after haphazard preparations brought about by the war at home and facing
opponents appearing in their sixth final in the last seven Asian Cups. Iraq
were forced to train and play qualifiers in neutral countries and coach Jorvan
Vieira only had two months to mould a team that included Shi'ite, Sunni and
Kurdish players.
    Despite all this, a brilliant counter-attacking performance capped off
by Younes Khalef's powerful header into the back of the net saw Iraq lift the
Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory. The fairytale win made headlines around the
world and sparked fervent celebrations on the streets of Baghdad.
    Ten months on and any repeat of such scenes looks unlikely for some
time after the government dissolved the country's National Olympic Committee
and all its national sport federations. The government said the Iraqi Olympic
Committee was illegitimate because it lacked a quorum and had failed to hold
new elections. 
    It said it would form a temporary committee, headed by the Sports
Ministry, which would hold elections for a new Olympic Committee within three
months.  FIFA President Sepp Blatter described the decision as unlawful and
said FIFA would have no alternative but to suspend the Asian champions from
the 2010 World Cup qualifying competition if Baghdad refused to back down.

    The Iraqi team will fly to Brisbane on Tuesday (May 27), unsure whether
they will have a chance to play next week's World Cup qualifier with
Australia. 
    Iraq are currently bottom of Group 1 and have won only one match since
their unexpected Asian Cup triumph last year.