Ethiopia out of World Cup

Ethiopia out of World Cup
12 September 2008
by Jerrad Peters

Ethiopia have been thrown out of the 2010 World Cup. Initially suspended from participation on July 29, the 108th-ranked team in world football was formally dismissed from the competition on Friday afternoon. FIFA is basing its decision on the Ethiopian Football Federation’s refusal to honor a previous agreement regarding its leadership structure.

“The FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the EFF on 29 July 2008 due to the non-compliance of the EFF with the roadmap agreed in February 2008 by FIFA, CAF and the EFF in order to normalize the situation of the federation,” read a statement released on the official FIFA website.

The sport’s governing body interceded when a breakaway group of the EFF Executive Committee held a conference of meetings in January, 2008. The meetings, termed the General Assemblies, attempted to wrest control of Ethiopian football hierarchy from the Executive Committee.

Under FIFA’s mediation, the two sides agreed to meet in Addis Ababa in late March to vote on the future of the Executive Committee. If dissolved, the Committee would be replaced in early May through a fresh round of elections at the Elective Extraordinary General Assembly.

The EFF did not adhere to FIFA’s guidelines, however, and was notified of its removal from international competition on Friday afternoon. African qualifying Group 8, of which Ethiopia had been a part, will now consist of Rwanda, Morocco, and Mauritania. Results involving the Ethiopian side were immediately cancelled. Rwanda leads the bracket with nine points from four matches while Morocco has taken six points from three matches. Mauritania has scored just once in three appearances and has yet to record a point.

Have a question about football? Email your query to jerradpeters@gmail.com.

Jerrad Peters covers football for the Winnipeg Free Press, Soccer Three-Sixty magazine, ESPN Soccernet, and Soccer365.com. His work has also appeared on TheMirror.co.uk, Canadian-soccer.com, Footy247.co.uk, Foot2ball.com, and Squadinfo.com.